Indian Pitta - Behaviour and Ecology

Behaviour and Ecology

These birds make seasonal movements associated with the rains and these have not been well studied. The breeding season is during the South-west Monsoon from June to August, with peaks in June in central India and July in northern India). The nest is a globular structure with a circular opening on one side built on the ground or on low branches. It is made up of dry leaves and grasses. The clutch is four to five eggs which are very glossy white and spherical with spots and speckles of deep maroon or purple.

They feed on insects and other small invertebrates that are usually picked up from the ground or leaf litter. They have also been noted to take kitchen food scraps from the ground.

Avian malaria parasites have been noted in the species. Five out of thirteen birds in an ectoparasite survey were found to have the tick, Haemaphysalis spinigera.