Aust birds    Bird names   News   1-26    Habitats    Key plants    Glossary    Plumage    Nests    Tips    Thumbnails    Gen. info    Sponsors    Photos for sale   
NON-PASSERINES     1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10     11     12     13     14 15     16     17     18     19     20     21     22     23     24     25     26     PASSERINES
Common names sorted alphabetically: A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   W   Y  

15

Rainbow Pitta

(Pitta iris)
Alternate name(s): "Black-breasted Pitta"
Size: 16-19 cm
Weight: 52-88 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Rainbow Pitta at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "iris"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Close-up frontal view of a Rainbow Pitta (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tumbling Waters, near Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Frontal view of a Rainbow Pitta (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, July 2020]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Rainbow Pitta (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tumbling Waters, near Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a Rainbow Pitta (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Rainbow Pitta (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Tumbling Waters, near Darwin, NT, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Rainbow Pitta (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Tumbling Waters, near Darwin, NT, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Rainbow Pitta (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2013]

Lateral view of a Rainbow Pitta (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2013]

Lateral view of a Rainbow Pitta (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tumbling Waters, near Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a Rainbow Pitta (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Rainbow Pitta (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Rainbow Pitta foraging on the ground (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2013]

Dorsal view of a Rainbow Pitta hiding in shrubbery (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2018]

Dorsal view of a Rainbow Pitta (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, July 2020]

Close-up dorsal/ventral view of a Rainbow Pitta (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tumbling Waters, near Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Oct - Feb Eggs: 3 - 4 Incubation period: 15 - 17 days Fledging age: 14 - 20 days

Nest building: Female & male Incubation: Female & male Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Domed basket Material: Thick sticks, dead leaves, grass, bark Height above ground: 0 - 2? m

Rainbow Pitta nest with two chicks inside; this nest was found in a major fork, 2.5 m off the ground, in a Douglas River flood zone (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Oolloo Road, Douglas-Daly, NT, January 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Rainbow Pitta carrying a thick stick for its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Howard Springs Nature Reserve, near Darwin, NT, October 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a Rainbow Pitta ignoring a snake while collecting nest material (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Howard Springs Nature Reserve, near Darwin, NT, October 2020]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 30 x 24 mm Colour: White, with sparse light-grey to light-brown speckles Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Rainbow Pittas spend a lot of time on the ground, but to mark their territory they use elevated perches
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, November 2018]

Food, Diet

Rainbow Pittas feed, amongst other things, on worms.

Lateral view of a Rainbow Pitta that has caught a worm (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, March 2013]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

Rainbow Pittas usually call only during the breeding season.

rainpit_pb_20191219.m4a iris
(Darwin, NT)
Contact calls? © PB
rainpit_pb_20200614.m4a iris
(Darwin, NT)
Contact calls? (Q&A)
(+ Grey Whistler)
© PB

More Rainbow Pitta sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.