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Pittas in Thailand

For many birdwatchers in Thailand, and other parts of the tropics, a sighting of any pitta species is the pinnacle of a day's birding. Indeed, when discussing the birds of Thailand with other birders the conversation always quickly progresses to subject of pittas. The difficulty in finding this group of birds combined with their ground-dwelling habits and colourful and/or unusual plumages makes pittas very desirable indeed.

Thailand has fourteen species of pitta which are of varying difficulty to find and to see all fourteen of them in Thailand would take a huge amount of effort not to mention discovering one species that has never actually been observed in the wild in the country. Finding pittas in Thailand relies on knowing both where and when to look for them, with sightings at some times of the year being almost impossible but becoming much more likely at other times. Below are notes on all twelve of Thailand's pitta species, including where birdwatchers are most likely to encounter them. I have listed them in the order they appear in "Birds of Thailand" published by Lynx Edicions in 2018.

If anyone wants any further advice on how to find pittas in Thailand please don't hesitate to contact me for help: nickupton@thaibirding.com

1. Garnet Pitta Erythropitta granatina

Garnet Pitta

(Photo by Nick Upton)

Confined to broadleaved evergreen forest below 200 metres in the Malay peninsula, the only place in Thailand this fantastic bird is likely to be found is in Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary along the river accessible from the research station at the Bala sector. This very rare resident exists probably in only very small numbers in Thailand due to deforestation of the lowlands.

Those lucky enough to get to the extreme south of Thailand to look for this bird should listen out for its drawn out monotone whistle, which is very similar to that of Malaysian Rail-babbler, along lowland river valleys. A few people, including myself, have been lucky and found Garnet Pitta at the Bala section of Hala-Bala Wildlfie Sanctuary where it is should be looked for along the rather leech-infested trail across the stream at the rear of the research station. This species usually calls from slightly elevated perches and in thorny palms. Due to the extreme rarity of this species in Thailand the only time it is likely to be detected is when it is calling during the breeding season; mid February to June and perhaps into July/August is when it should be calling, outside of those times it is highly likely to be silent. There used to be fairly regular reports of birds from territory at Bala but these dried up around 2015 and rumours are that someone trapped them. If this is correct it may be that Garnet Pitta is now extinct in Thailand.

Although in Thailand Garnet Pitta should be regarded as critically endangered, internationally it is listed as "near threatened" and it is much easier to find in Peninsula Malaysia, parts of Sumatra and in Borneo.

2. Eared Pitta Hydrornis phayrei


Eared Pitta
(Photo by Suppalak Klabdee)
  Eared Pitta is an uncommon resident and rarely seen by visiting birdwatchers. However, in Lekagul and Round it is listed as an uncommon to common resident and it may be that the low number of sightings is due to the fact that its habitat below 900 metres is not as widely visited as it might be.

Sightings do occur from Khao Yai National Park, particularly from the trails that are close to the headquarters and Eared Pitta has also been photographed from Kaeng Krachan National Park too: I have seen and heard it between streams 2 and 3 near Ban Krang on several occasions, particularly in the breeding season.

Eared Pitta has also been photographed on a number of occasions from blinds around Kaeng Krachan; a morning or afternoon in one of these blinds can be arranged through the owners of Ban Maka.
A number of tourist lodges around the southwest edge of Khao Yai have access to low level forest and at one of these, near Nakorn Nayok, Peter Ericsson photographed an Eared Pitta - so this is perhaps an option for those determined to get a sighting.

Despite the fact that Eared Pitta is not commonly seen in Thailand it is fairly widespread, but mainly confined to regions rarely visited by birdwatchers. Its international conservation status is "Least concern" as classified by IUCN.

Unless you are very lucky you will have to be very determined and focused to see Eared Pitta in Thailand.

Take a look at this video clip of an Eared Pitta taken in Khao Yai National Park in 2004: Eared Pitta clip.

More Eared Pitta photos here: Eared Pitta.

3. Rusty-naped Pitta Hydrornis oatesi

Rusty-naped Pitta

(Photo by Nick Upton)

Rusty-naped Pitta is one of the hardest pittas to observe in Thailand under normal circumstances as it lives in montane forest with dense undergrowth and steep slopes. However, it is not actually that rare where it occurs in northern and western Thailand and its call carries a long way when it is active, usually between the months of mid March and end of July.

Almost all Rusty-naped Pitta sightings in Thailand occur when birds are visiting photographic feeding stations. This is usually restricted to the driest months of February and March although sometimes if they become very habituated to receiving food they may be showing from December and into April. Strangely enough the times at which Rusty-naped Pitta is easiest to see at stakeouts, does not coincide with when it is most active and vocal. There are hardly any good sightings of this species away from photographic stakeouts despite large numbers of birders visiting areas where it occurs and going out specifically to look for one will almost certainly end in failure. Add to this that Rusty-naped Pitta is usually unresponsive to call playback and you have one of the most frustrating birds in the country.

At Doi Chiang Dao Rusty-naped Pitta used to be frequently seen at the beginning of the "nature trail" and in the temple gully. Rather too many people resorted to playing the bird's call at this location and now I havent heard of any sightings there for some time; the trail has become extremely overgrown too so it is probably not a good place to look. On the higher altitudes at Kaeng Krachan National Park this species can frequently be heard calling in the wet season but getting a sighting of one there is exceptionally rare. Rusty-naped Pittas have appeared at feeding stations at Doi Lang, Doi Ang Kang and Doi Tung over recent years but none seem predictable from one year to the next. One of the most reliable sites has been at Mae Wong National Park where birds have visited a stakeout in most years BUT not in all years. Doi Inthanon has also been a site where people have seen Rusty-naped Pitta but while it may be possible to track one down when they are calling and when birding alone, due to the nature of the narrow trails and steep hillsides it is highly unlikely that birders will be successful here in a group. In 2019 Rusty-naped Pittas visited a photo stakeout at Mae Fa Luang Arboretum in Chiang Rai province and were very reliable for some months. In 2020 they were seen on an irregular basis at the same site. So, although Rusty-naped Pitta is quite widespread and almost every year there is at least one bird appearing at a photo stakeout, it is hard to predict where and when the best chance of seeing one will be.

Rusty-naped Pitta is one of the most infrequently seen of the pittas in Thailand, it is an uncommon resident whilst the international listing of Birdlife International is of "least concern".

4. Blue-naped Pitta Hydrornis nipalensis

Blue-naped Pitta
  Blue-naped Pitta was predicted as a possible addition to the Thai bird list in Round & Lekagul's A guide to the Birds of Thailand and was finally discovered on 1st March 2009 at around 900m above sea level at Pu Suan Sai national park, Loei province.

This species has not yet been photographed in Thailand and was found in thick bamboo forest, so the opportunities for viewing it and photography are not good. It has been seen by just a handful of observers and very few have even heard it. I was lucky enough to hear one call twice at Pu Suan sai in early July 2010 but the dense bamboo and rampant leeches gave me no chance to see the bird - I have been told that this species calls from trees and other elevated perches.

It is quite possible, even likely, that Blue-naped Pitta occurs in a few other areas of northern/northeastern Thailand.

Internationally Blue-naped Pitta is listed by the IUCN as "least concern" as it has a very wide range throughout Asia even though it is thought to be declining in many areas.

Photos of Blue-naped Pitta can be seen here: Blue-naped Pitta.
5. Blue-rumped Pitta Hydrornis soror

Blue-rumped Pitta
(Photo by James Eaton/Birdtour Asia)
  Blue-rumped Pitta is confined, in Thailand, to the extreme southeast of the country. The most accessible place for birdwatchers to find this species is Khao Soi Dao in Chantaburi province, although there are a few other national parks in the region which have limited visiting access where it may also be found: Khao Kitchakut and Khao Srabab. Very few visiting birdwatchers (or resident birders) get to see this pitta as Khao Soi Dao is not a heavily visited area which is a shame as the habitat is of excellent quality.

Whilst Blue-rumped Pitta has a very restricted range in Thailand and is an uncommon resident, it has quite a large range, stretching from south east Thailand, through Indochina and into China itself. The conservation status is listed as "least concern" by the IUCN.

More Blue-rumped Pitta photographs here: Blue-rumped Pitta.
 
6. Giant Pitta Hydrornis caeruleus

Giant Pitta
(Photo by Suppalak Klabdee)
  Giant Pitta is a very rare resident and very seldom seen by visiting or resident birdwatchers alike. This species is confined to evergreen forests of the lowlands in the peninsula and has been seen on a very few occassions at Kaeng Krachan National Park although it is almost a mythical bird at this location. It has also been videoed at Khao Nor Chu Chi some years ago and a few have also been lucky enough to see Giant Pitta on the riverside loop accessible from the research centre at Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary.

In March 2011 I was lucky enough to see a female Giant Pitta on two occasions when the forest was extremely dry and the only water was a few puddles in the stream bed between stream crossings 2 and 3. Others also saw the male during this time and perhaps these are the best conditions under which to find this bird.

Whilst Giant Pitta is a rare resident and probably endangered in Thailand due to lowland deforestation it is only listed as "near threatened" by the IUCN and as with many other lowland specialists it is far more likely to be encountered in Malaysia or Indonesia.

Don't come to Thailand expecting to see a Giant Pitta, it is almost never seen, other countries will give you a better chance.
More photos of Giant Pitta here: Giant Pitta. 

7. Blue Pitta Hydrornis cyaneus

Blue Pitta

(Photo by Nick Upton)

Blue Pitta is one of Thailand's most common pittas, occurring in moist forest from the plains to about 1500 metres. This species is frequently observed by determined visiting birdwatchers at Khao Yai National Park on numerous different trails and Kaeng Krachan National Park in damp gullies and similar spots. Although not that many birders visit Nam Nao National Park a good number of those that do locate Blue Pitta at various times of the year. Whilst Blue Pitta's range includes most of the west and the north, as well as the south east and parts of the northeast, it is absent from most of the south.

Over recent years Blue Pitta has visited several photo stakeouts close to Kaeng Krachan national park and this has presented large numbers of birders with excellent views; this accompanying photo was taken at one of those locations.

Although Blue Pitta is a fairly common species it is often infuriatingly difficult to see. For those who are tempted to use call playback, Blue Pitta usually does not come stright to the origin but instead circles it at just a range far enough away to make it hard to see. Outside of the breeding season (March-June) this bird seldom calls making it more or less a lottery in finding it, however, the dry season (December-March) is when these birds are most reliable at any stakeout that they may be visiting.

The Blue Pitta's call is "pleoow-whit" but particularly at Kaeng Krachan and parts of Khao Yai replays of this call are being overused meaning that many individuals are no longer reacting, making them very difficult to see.

Reflecting its situation as a fairly common resident, the Blue Pitta's international conservation status is "least concern" as stated by the IUCN.

8. Gurney's Pitta Hydrornis gurneyi

Gurney's Pitta
(Photo by Suppalak Klabdee)
  The small population of Gurney's Pitta still holds out at Khao Nor Chu Chi, near Krabi, with around 15 estimated. Although a few individuals may still hold out in nearby forest fragments and a large population has been discovered in Myanmar, KNC is the best chance for most birders to see this species.

Most birders make the frustrating wait on U-trail in order to get a glimpse of Gurney's Pitta but there are also frequent sightings from some of the other nearby, but overgrown, trails and also from B-trail so don't spend your whole time sat in a mosquito infested puddle on U-trail!

Gurney's Pitta is now classified as endangered by Birdlife International but it remains important to refrain from using taped or imitated calls to lure it into view as too many people do. There are fewer and fewer independent sightings of Gurney's Pitta these days, although some people have seen it in the breeding season - most people hire the assistance of Yothin Meekao to see this bird.

Take a look at Jan Wilczur's fabulous painting of a Gurney's Pitta.

More photos of Gurney's Pitta here: Gurney's Pitta.

Gurney's Pitta was voted the most sought-after bird in Thailand by visiting birdwatchers: Gurney's Pitta, Thailand's most wanted bird.

9. Bar-bellied Pitta Hydrornis elliotii

(Photo by Suppalak Klabdee)

Banded Pitta I am not aware of any sightings of Bar-bellied Pitta in recent years and certainly not by holidaying birdwatchers, indeed it appears that it may never have been seen in the wild in Thailand - known only from an individual in a market in Ubon Ratchatani. This species has a severley restricted range in Thailand occurring only in the extreme southeast and east of the country in forest below 400 metres. With the destruction of almost all forest below this altitude there are only a very few patches of habitat left close to the Cambodian border. For those determined to find this bird in Thailand a couple of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Ubon Ratchatani province may be the place to look.

Despite Bar-bellied Pitta being endangered in Thailand its international conservation status is listed as "least concern" by the IUCN due to its extensive range through Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

10. Malayan Banded Pitta Hydrornis irena

Malayan Banded Pitta

(Photo by Nick Upton)

Banded Pitta is one of the most beautiful species in Thailand and is confined to forest up to 610 metres in the southern peninsula. Never an easy species to find, most sightings of Banded Pitta in Thailand are from Khao Nor Chu Chi which has more to do with the number of visitors to this location than its abundance. Those searching for this species would do well to visit Khao Sok National Park or Krung Ching Waterfall where very reliable stakeouts for Banded Pitta exists and other quality areas of forest in the south such as Hala-Bala, Sri Phang Nga and Thalebun have also provided some lucky birdwatchers with a view of this pitta.

This species has a soft call which consists of a falling "pouw" followed by a whirring "kirrr" and it is said that Gurney's Pitta responds to the playback of Banded Pitta's call. For this reason birdwatchers at Khao Nor Chu Chi should avoid the use of this species call.

The status of Banded Pitta is as an uncommon resident and internationally it is classified as "Least concern" by the IUCN.

11. Blue-winged Pitta Pitta moluccensis

Blue-winged Pitta

(Photo by Nick Upton)

Blue-winged Pitta is the easiest of Thailand's pitta species to see although most visiting birders will not see it as this species is a wet season visitor to Thailand and most birders visit in the dry season. Blue-winged Pitta mainly spends the dry season in Malaysia and Indonesia although small numbers are resident in the south of Thailand. This bird is a common wet season breeder and can be found in all sorts of places during migration, even turning up in parks and gardens in Bangkok, and is one of the few birds able to make use of plantations as a breeding habitat. Although most birders will think of pittas as ground-dwelling birds this is one that will call from high in the canopy as well as from low perches and the ground, making it much easier to spot than many other species as it flits around in the tree tops.

By early April Blue-winged Pittas begin to appear in all manner of wooded habitats in the far south of Thailand and by mid April they are reaching the central region of the country in good numbers. Although birders may encounter this species anywhere at the right time of the year, by far the easiest place to see a Blue-winged Pitta is in the garden of Baan Maka Nature Lodge where it can frequently be seen from the breakfast table. Any of the lowland area with trees near Kaeng Krachan or within the park itself are good places to find this species between mid April and late July. I have also seen this species in good numbers at Thalebun National Park, Khao Nor Chu Chi, Khao Soi Dao, Chulachomklao Military Academy at Nakorn Nayok, Khao Sok National Park HQ the list is endless, this is a common bird at the right time of year.

The international conservation status of Blue-winged Pitta reflects its abundance in Thailand as it is listed as "least concern" with a range that covers most of Southeast Asia, stretching into the far south of China.

12. Mangrove Pitta Pitta megarhyncha

Mangrove Pitta

(Photo by Nick Upton)

Although restricted to mangroves on the west coast of the southern peninsula, Mangrove Pitta is probably one of the easiest pittas to find in Thailand. Its habit of sitting high up in mangrove trees and calling makes it reasonably easy to spot if you can get into the right habitat. The fairly open nature of mangrove forests make spotting this bird, when it is calling from a root or branch, much easier than spotting many other pitta species. When the tide is out Mangrove Pitta can be quite active on the forest floor and it is also relatively easy to spot then too.

One of the best places to see Mangrove Pitta is at Ao Phang Nga National Park headquarters and many birders see this species in Krabi on a boat trip although spotting it from a moving boat can be quite a challenge. Anywhere that one can get into mangroves along the western coast is likely to result in a successful search; other places I have seen Mangrove Pitta include Satun Mangroves and Ngao Mangrove Research centre in Ranong province.

Internationally Mangrove Pitta is listed as "near threatened" as, although its range stretches from Bangladesh to Indonesia, its mangrove habitat continues to be destroyed in all of the countries that it occurs in.

13. Fairy Pitta Pitta nympha

Fairy Pitta

(Photo by Nick Upton)

Fairy Pitta was first recorded in Thailand at Phuttamoton Park near Bangkok when one individual stayed from 11th to 17th April 2009 and was widely observed and photographed.

Since then this species has been discovered to be an annual but scarce passage migrant in Eastern Thailand, regularly being recorded at the ringing station at Ko Mun Nai in Rayong province and other surrounding islands. A few others have turned up on the mainland so if the weather conditions are right in April it could be worth a closer look at any apparent Blue-winged Pittas that appear in parks and gardens.

On 1st May 2018 I photographed a Fairy Pitta at Sri Nakorn Kuen Khan Park in Samut Prakan province which at the time was only the second record of the species west of the Chao Praya River.

Internationally Fairy Pitta is listed by the IUCN as "vulnerable" as, its habitat is subject to deforestation in its breeding range and its population is thought to be only a few thousand individuals.
14. Hooded Pitta Pitta sordida

Hooded Pitta
(Photo by Thomas Ruedas)
  Hooded Pitta is a wet season migrant to most of Thailand although it is present throughout the year in the peninsula. It occurs far further north than the distribution maps in either Robson's or Lekagul & Round's field guides but is not often seen by visiting birdwatchers. I have seen this species in the temple gully at Doi Chiang Dao in early May and it has been seen breeding as far north as Chiang Saen. As with many other pittas, Hooded Pitta has been photographed a number of times at nests at Kaeng Krachan, where it can be fairly easy to find just after it arrives in late April and May, and also at Khao Yai National Park and any site in the south could provide a sighting of this species. Hooded Pitta seems to be found more or less annually at Phuttamonton Park just outside Bangkok in the early wet season.

Hooded Pitta calls in a similar manner to many other pittas with a "fluty raew-raew" similar to that of Blue-winged Pitta.

In Thailand Hooded Pitta is an uncommon to locally common bird and its international status is listed as "least concern" due to its large range from India and Nepal in the west to Japan in the east and as far south as Papua New Guinea.

In the wet season Hooded Pitta can turn up anywhere and its habit of calling from within trees makes it relatively easy to see for a Pitta from mid April to July/August.

More Hooded Pitta photographs here: Hooded Pitta.

 

Pitta T-Shirts

I created several pitta illustrations that are now available on t-shirts to be ordered here - Thaibirding T-shirts.

The three different pittas currently available are Blue Pitta, Malayan Banded Pitta & Mangrove Pitta. These t-shirts are available in a variety of sizes and colours.

Blue PittaMalayan Banded Pitta T-shirt

Malayan Banded PittaMalayan Banded Pitta T-shirt

Mangrove PittaMangrove Pitta T-shirt

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Print on demand T-shirts with original designs featuring the Birds of Thailand available now - Thaibirding T-Shirt Store

Black-and-yellow BroadbillDownload a full checklist of the birds of Thailand including all distinct subspecies that are potential splits.

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