Hydrornis oatesi
The Rusty-naped Pitta (Hydrornis oatesi) is a strikingly beautiful, medium-sized pitta, measuring approximately 20-25 cm (8-10 inches) in length and weighing 90-120 grams. Its most distinctive field mark is the rich, rufous-chestnut nape and hindneck, which contrasts sharply with its bright blue mantle, wings, and tail, and its black head and buffy-orange underparts. A prominent white or buffy patch is often visible on the bend of the wing, adding to its allure. Taxonomically, it belongs to t...
This species primarily inhabits moist, dense evergreen and semi-evergreen broadleaf forests, particularly in hilly and montane regions, ranging from lowlands up to elevations of around 2,000 meters.
The Rusty-naped Pitta feeds mainly on a variety of invertebrates, including earthworms, snails, insects, insect larvae, and sometimes small amphibians, found by probing and gleaning through the forest floor's leaf litter.
The Rusty-naped Pitta is a highly secretive and largely terrestrial bird, spending most of its diurnal activity foraging silently on the forest floor. It typically roosts in low vegetation or on tree branches, well-hidden within the dense undergrowth. Foraging involves meticulously sifting throug...
The Rusty-naped Pitta is a resident species distributed across a significant portion of Southeast Asia, ranging from eastern Myanmar and Thailand, through Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, extending south into the northern Malay Peninsula, and eastward into southern China (Yunnan and Guangxi). Its ran...
Least Concern
- Often called a "jewel-thrush" due to its dazzling, jewel-toned plumage, despite its reclusive nature on the dark forest floor. - Its distinctive "whee-whee-wheo" or "ta-whit, ta-wheet" call is far more commonly heard than the bird itself is seen. - Unlike many colorful birds that perch conspicu...