Pittas belong to the order Passeriformes, suborder Eurylaimi and family Pittidae (Erritzoe, 2004). The family Pittidae is
monogeneric (with only one genus, Pitta) with 30 species and 91 subspecies. Pittas generally inhabit moist tropical
forest, semi-forest, and scrub lands with many species preferring proximity to watercourses. This preference for water
appears to be linked with the fact that pittas appear to bathe regularly, after which much time is devoted to preening.
This is often followed by sun-bathing in some pitta species, including the hooded pitta. In their typical forest habitat,
pittas generally occur in the dark moist undergrowth with a ground cover of leaf litter, but also in limestone areas with
steep-sided ravines. Habitat, however, varies with the species, with the rainbow pitta frequently encountered in
monsoonal and eucalyptus type forests, the blue-winged pitta is usually found in bamboo thickets, the garnet pitta
frequents swamp forest, while the mangrove pitta as its name suggests, is confined mainly to mangrove forest.
Pittas are generally diurnal birds requiring daylight in order to locate their food (Erritzoe, 2004). Pittas are also very shy
birds and thus very difficult to observe. When alarmed, pittas tend to hop into the nearest thick vegetation cover
available rather than taking to flight, although the garnet pitta has also been observed to take to the tops of trees when
alarmed. Pittas tend to be solitary except during the breeding season. Young birds also do not have close contact with
their parents unless hungry. This strategy of being solitary has its advantages as it allows better protection from
predators and also helps to lower the risk to transmission of parasites and disease. Pittas are, however, recorded to join
loose flocks during the migratory season. During the hottest parts of the day and other periods of rest, pittas often stand
on one leg (Fig. 5) and remaining very quiet, making them very hard to spot during these periods. Standing on one leg
is apparently employed by pittas to reduce heat loss (by reducing exposed surface area), so as to conserve energy.