Papuan Pitta — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Bird guidePapuan Pitta

A distinctive plump, short-tailed, long-legged bird with a bold red belly.

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⚠️Not listed

At a glance

FamilyPittas

SizeSmall

RarityUncommon

HabitatMore abundant in the lowlands but also occurs in the foothills.

Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from January.

Sounds

Sound sample

0:000:00

Recorded by Oscar Campbell

Range map

Occurrence window

17visible hotspots

940visible records

1states

Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Note the rusty nape, black throat, broad blue chest band bordered below with a thick black line, and greenish upperparts. More abundant in the lowlands but also occurs in the foothills. No similar species in range.

Behavior

Singles or pairs forage on the forest floor or call from a low perch within forest and secondary growth.

Gallery

Regional timing

Queensland

Peak: January940 records

Commonly confused with

Noisy PittaPitta versicolorThis species has green and black wings, dull yellow underparts, a black facial stripe, a bright blue shoulder patch, and a red patch under the tail. Primarily found in rainforest, this species undertakes seasonal movements and can be found very close to the coast (including in mangroves) during winter. Sometimes calls from high in the canopy.→