Western Hooded Pitta

The western hooded pitta is a compact ground bird with a black head and upper breast, chestnut crown, green back and wings, blue shoulder patch and bright red under-tail coverts. Its body shape is rounded, with a short tail, stout bill and long pinkish legs. Sexes are similar, while young birds are duller. The clear, doubled whistle carries through dense vegetation and is often repeated insistently from a defended territory (Wikipedia, general species account; BirdForum species account).

It is widespread from South Asia and southern China through mainland and maritime Southeast Asia, including Vietnam. The species uses moist and dry forest, mangroves, scrub, plantations and rural gardens from sea level to montane elevations. It forages among dead leaves for insects, larvae, earthworms and snails and also eats berries. A pair builds a domed ground nest from leaves, twigs, fibres and moss, lays two to five eggs and shares incubation and chick care (BirdLife species factsheet; BirdForum species account).