Bird Album
African Pitta
Pitta angolensis Vieillot, 1816
63 gWeight
The African pitta (Pitta angolensis) is an Afrotropical bird of the family Pittidae.
Busiest months: December · Most records: Congo - Kinshasa, Mozambique, Uganda
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: December · Most records: Congo - Kinshasa, Mozambique, Uganda
African Pitta has been recorded at 31 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 13 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Lake Kivu – Tchegera IslandCongo - Kinshasa57 records
- M'phingwe LodgeMozambique17 records
- Coutada 12Mozambique16 records
More places
- Tiwai Island Wildlife SanctuarySierra Leone7 records
- Ankasa NPGhana7 records
- Arabuko-Sokoke Forest NRKenya6 records
- Liwonde National ParkMalawi5 records
- Akagera NP – Visitor CentreRwanda4 records
- South Luangwa NPZambia4 records
- Gola Rainforest NP – NorthSierra Leone3 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The African pitta (Pitta angolensis) is an Afrotropical bird of the family Pittidae. It is a locally common to uncommon species, resident and migratory in the west, and an intra-African migrant between equatorial and southeastern Africa. They are elusive and hard to observe despite their brightly coloured plumage, and their loud, explosive calls are infrequently heard.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the African Pitta?
The African Pitta weighs around 63 g.
Where does the African Pitta live?
Its breeding range: Africa: eastern, southeastern, west-central, western. It is most often recorded in Congo - Kinshasa, Mozambique and Uganda.
When is the best time to see the African Pitta?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in December (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the African Pitta endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the African Pitta as Least Concern.
What does the African Pitta eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the African Pitta in?
It belongs to the family Pittas (Pittidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Weight
- 63 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 103 mm
- Tail
- 42 mm
- Bill
- 23 mm
- Tarsus
- 36 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: eastern, southeastern, west-central, western
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Pittas Pittidae
- Genus
- Pitta
Other birds in the genus Pitta
Green-breasted PittaPitta reichenowi
Indian PittaPitta brachyura
Blue-winged PittaPitta moluccensis
Mangrove PittaPitta megarhyncha
Western Hooded PittaPitta sordida
Nicobar Hooded PittaPitta abbotti
Minahasa Hooded PittaPitta forsteni
Eastern Hooded PittaPitta novaeguineae
Biak Hooded PittaPitta rosenbergii
Fairy PittaPitta nympha
Noisy PittaPitta versicolor
Ivory-breasted PittaPitta maxima
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by cjheath. ↗
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