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The Banded Pitta – a Gorgeous Tropical Aviary Bird – Part 2

Banded PittaThe Banded Pitta (Pitta guajana) is highly-prized by both zoos and private aviculturists. Please see Part I of this article for information on the natural history and care of this colorful ground-dweller.  Today we’ll cover its unique dietary needs.

General Considerations

In the wild, Banded Pittas subsist entirely upon snails, earthworms, beetles, spiders and other invertebrates, with perhaps some carrion taken when available.  In Part I of this article, I compared their housing requirements to those of delicate reptiles and amphibians.   In matters of diet, we see again that their captive needs vary greatly from those of “typical” pet birds.  Read More »

The Banded Pitta – a Gorgeous Tropical Aviary Bird – Part 1

Banded PittaThe word “Exquisite” popped into my head when I caught my first glimpse of a Banded or Van den Bock’s Pitta (Pitta guajana) hopping through the underbrush in a Bronx Zoo exhibit.  Years later, I had the good fortune to work with this beautiful ground-dweller, and my enthusiasm for them soared.  Although still uncommon in captivity, the Banded Pitta is a species worth aspiring to – definitely a bird to keep as a “goal” while honing your skills and expanding your collection.

Description

Words fail when one tries to describe the Banded Pitta – light and dark blues, orange, red, yellow, black, brown, white and gray all make their appearance in the male’s plumage.  Hens, though more somberly clad, are no less attractive.  Read More »

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