Fairy Pitta

The fairy pitta is a small, brightly coloured passerine, 16–19.5cm long, easily recognised by plumage of seven different colours reminiscent of a rainbow. The back and wing bows are green, the scapulars and upper tail coverts green and cobalt, with a blue rump, and the tail is dark green with a cobalt tip. The diet mainly consists of earthworms, spiders, insects, slugs and snails (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds in East Asia and migrates south to winter in South-east Asia. Due to habitat and human pressures such as deforestation, wildfire, hunting, trapping and the cage-bird trade, the fairy pitta is rare. Adults show defensive behaviour at the nest only until the eggs are laid (Wikipedia, general species account).