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Project Noah Nature School
Pitta versicolor
This ground-dwelling bird was my find of the day. It's so colourful, and yet blends in to the forest floor perfectly. As the name suggests, it was noisy, that's the only reason I found it, jumping around & scratching, looking for food. They feed mainly on insects & snails. Noisy Pittas are between 18 and 26cm.
Noisy Pittas are found on the east coast of Australia, from the northern tip, to the NSW/Victorian border, in rainforests & scrubs. They are also found in Indonesia & Papua New Guinea.
Eungella N.P.
Spotted on May 5, 2014
Submitted on May 6, 2014
7 Comments
I learned more about them just recently, Leanne. In the Bunya Mountains they love to eat big land snails. They have a favourite rock they continually return to and smash 'em to bits. Here's a snail shell I just spotted (minus the snail), which managed to evade the pitta's - http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/509... Now all I have to do is spot the bird, one day soon I hope.
Thanks Neil & Christiane. I was stoked with this spotting. Yes, you're so right Christiane, they never sit still! Neil, I'd only seen one in books & on here before this one. Happiness :)
Great photo.. It's so hard to get good photos of these birds.. They never stand still!! :)
I've not heard of these birds before, let alone seen one. Lovely intro. Great spotting, Leanne.
Thanks Mac & kd. Yes kd, I was so lucky to see this bird I know. Though I must add, I have seen them almost every time I've visited this area, this is the first time I've been able to get a photo. They're usually in the shadiest of forest. This one was luckily on the edge . Such a beautiful bird :)
Lucky Leanne should be your name! I would love to see these in the wild. They have pretty much disappeared from forests near here.
Nice one Leanne