Bird Guide

Noisy Pitta vs Rainbow Pitta

Noisy Pitta (Pitta versicolor)

Noisy Pitta

Pitta versicolor

Medium89 gForest

The noisy pitta is 19 to 21 cm (7.5–8.3 in) long. Males weigh 70–112 g (2.5–4.0 oz) and females 70–128 g (2.5–4.5 oz). It is a colourful bird. It has a black head and nape of neck with a chestnut crown. The wings are green with a turquoise front edge and the back is also green. The throat, breast and belly are lemon yellow. The tail is black and the under-tail coverts are orange-red. Juvenile birds resembled adults but are duller, with olive green on the wings and the buffy breast washed with grey, as is the throat and chin. Voice: Noisy pittas call most frequently in the morning with a secondary peak in calling around midday. Calling declines in the afternoon before spiking again at dusk. They also call at night. Seasonally, they call most frequently in the breeding season, with almost no calling between March and August.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Moonlight0551 from Australia · CC BY 2.0
Rainbow Pitta (Pitta iris)

Rainbow Pitta

Pitta iris

Medium62 gForest

The rainbow pitta is 16 to 18 cm (6.3–7.1 in) in length, and weighs 52–88 g (1.8–3.1 oz). Females weigh 67 g (2.4 oz), slightly more on average than males, which weigh 62 g (2.2 oz). It typically stands upright while looking for food or resting, with the legs slightly bent, and the body held at a 60–70° angle. It moves around by hopping. Its head, neck, breast, flanks and upper belly are velvet black, its upper parts are olive-green, and its lower belly and undertail coverts are scarlet red.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Mark Gillow · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Noisy Pitta and Rainbow Pitta.