Pitta is the name of about 40 species (kinds) of brightly colored ground birds of the tropics of Africa, Asia, and Australasia. Most species are found in Southeast Asia. A pitta is a long-legged, stocky bird with a short tail and strong bill (beak). It lives in forests and feeds mainly on worms, snails, and insects. A pitta’s nest is large and is generally built less than 10 feet (3 meters) above the ground in a tree stump, tangled vegetation, or rock crevice. Several species of pittas are rare.
