Mangrove Pitta For UPSC IAS Exam

Mangrove Pitta is a species of passerine bird in the Pittidae family.
It is native to Southeast Asia and South Asia.
Its Scientific Name is Pitta Megarhyncha.
This bird usually feeds on insects and other small invertebrates.
Distribution:
- Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand (primarily the west coast of the southern Thai peninsula).
- In India, It is found in the eastern part, especially in Odisha and West Bengal.
Habitat:
- It is found in mangrove and nipa palm forests where it feeds on crustaceans, molluscs and insects.
- This bird usually feeds on insects and other small invertebrates.
Features:
- It is a small secretive bird, measuring 17 to 19 cm in length and weighing 45 to 65 grams.
- It is a colourful bird which has a black head with a brown crown, white throat, greenish upper parts, buff under-parts and reddish vent area.
Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Near Threatened.

Mangrove Pitta bird census

The country’s first mangrove pitta bird census was undertaken in Bhitarkanika, Odisha.
The objective of the census is to record the growth pattern of these birds.
These birds are yet to be conferred the endangered category.
Key Highlights:
- These birds are a nearly threatened species found in a few pockets of eastern India, including Bhitarkanika in Odisha and the Sundarbans in West Bengal.
- The census was carried out by point count method, either by walking in the forest or using country boats in the creeks.
- A total of 179 individual mangrove pitta birds were counted.
- The highest concentration of the birds has been found in the mangroves near the Mahipura river mouth inside the Bhitarkanika National Park,” the DFO said.