Pitta maxima
The Ivory-breasted Pitta (Pitta maxima) is a strikingly beautiful and robust passerine, measuring approximately 20-25 cm (8-10 inches) in length. It commands attention with its vibrant plumage, featuring a pristine, stark white breast and belly, which contrasts sharply with its glossy black head and nape. A fiery orange-red crown and hindneck provide a flamboyant crest, further enhanced by a deep blue patch on the shoulder and blackish-brown upperparts with blue-tipped flight feathers. Its mo...
This pitta primarily inhabits moist lowland and lower montane rainforests, often favoring areas with dense undergrowth and leaf litter. It can be found from sea level up to approximately 1000-1200 meters (3300-3900 feet) in elevation.
Its diet consists mainly of invertebrates, including insects, larvae, earthworms, and snails, which it procures by meticulously gleaning and probing the forest floor and leaf litter.
A true denizen of the forest floor, the Ivory-breasted Pitta is primarily diurnal and notoriously shy, often detected more by its loud calls than by sight. It forages by hopping and walking deliberately across the forest floor, meticulously turning over leaves, twigs, and other debris with its st...
The Ivory-breasted Pitta is strictly endemic to a handful of islands within the North Maluku (Moluccas) archipelago of Indonesia. Its primary distribution includes the large island of Halmahera, along with smaller populations on Bacan, Morotai, Obi, and Kasiruta islands. This species is entirely ...
Near Threatened
- The Ivory-breasted Pitta is one of the largest species within the Pitta genus, reaching up to 25 cm in length. - Despite its vivid coloration, its incredibly shy and secretive nature makes it one of the most challenging birds to spot in its dense forest habitat. - Its common name, 'Ivory-breast...