Photo: JJ Harrison / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Ivory-breasted Pitta
Pitta maxima
Ivory-breasted Pitta (Pitta maxima) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
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The Ivory-breasted Pitta (Pitta maxima) is a member of the Pittidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 190 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Pittidae Pittas
- Genus Pitta
- Species maxima
Quick facts
- Weight
- 190 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Pittidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Ivory-breasted Pitta is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Ivory-breasted Pitta is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Ivory-breasted Pitta (Pitta maxima) belongs to the Pittidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Morotai to Bacan (n Moluccas).
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 190 g, with a wing length of about 14.5 cm and a tail of around 6.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 23,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Ivory-breasted Pitta?
The Ivory-breasted Pitta is a large bird that weighs around 190 g.
Where does the Ivory-breasted Pitta live?
The Ivory-breasted Pitta is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Morotai to Bacan (n Moluccas), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Ivory-breasted Pitta belong to?
The Ivory-breasted Pitta (Pitta maxima) belongs to the Pittidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Ivory-breasted Pitta eat?
The Ivory-breasted Pitta is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Ivory-breasted Pitta migrate?
The Ivory-breasted Pitta is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Ivory-breasted Pitta endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Ivory-breasted Pitta make?
1 real field recording of the Ivory-breasted Pitta — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Ivory-breasted Pitta's range?
The Ivory-breasted Pitta has a mapped global range of about 23,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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