Feeding three hungry chicks is more than a full-time job for both parents, as they need to return with a lot of food at
very regular intervals, often perching on a low branch nearby and checking for threats before diving down into the nest
to deliver the meals. At its peak, the interval for feeding was never more than 30 minutes and sometimes both parents
would return with mouthfuls of earthworms (Fig. 6), especially on rainy days when earthworms are easier to find. Being
ground-nesters, the chicks were observed to mature quickly, taking on faint adult colorations only after a few days (Fig.
10) and were encouraged by both parents to fledge much earlier than high-nesting birds. What was observed was
perhaps the first ever event of both parents actively tearing away the canopy of the domed nest, exposing the three
grown chicks. This act was assumed to be affirmative action taken by both parents to force fledge their chicks. By this
time, the chicks were capable of short hops and flight to nearby low branches where they remained still dependant on
both parents for food for a few days. After fledging, the chicks with both parents were still observed in the general
vicinity of the nest for at least two days, after which the absence led us to assume that they must have migrated
northwards or returned to forested areas in the area.
Information of pitta courtship is very poorly known, although some courtship behaviour has been collected of the
hooded pitta (Erritzoe, 2004). During courtship the male hooded pitta, chases the female around for a period of time,
followed by both individuals stretching to their maximum height then relaxing back to their normal posture, bobbing
their tail up and down and producing a growling noise. Some wing-flicking also occurs.
Most pittas are sedentary―rarely making long movements―although some post-breeding dispersal does take place
(Erritzoe, 2004). Only four species and a subspecies of pitta are true migrants, taking long journeys south during the
winter periods. Among these five subspecies and species, the blue-winged and hooded pittas are found in Singapore
during the winter months. Little is known about pitta migration as recaptures of tagged bird are extremely difficult, with
an average of 0.45% recovery. We do know however that these movements are usually nocturnal and usually in loose
flocks. They birds are also known to use the same rest points year after year with little variation with respect to time of
visit.