Indian pitta spotted in city

Indian pitta is a colourful bird which is a native of the Indian subcontinent

Updated At : 08:16 AM May 15, 2018 IST

Also called naurang, the bird is a native of the Indian subcontinent and breeds in the Himalayan foothills. Photo by writer

Rima Dhillon

Indian pitta is a colourful bird, which is a native of the Indian subcontinent.It got its name from the Telugu word, “pitta”, meaning small bird. In Punjabi, it is called naurang.

These birds breed in the Himalayan foothills, as far as Sikkim. In winter, these can be seen as far as Sri Lanka. Around Chandigarh, they breed in Chandimandir, Perch Dam, Nepli and Kansal.

Their nests are usually built at a height of five to 20 feet and are globular in structure with an opening on one side.

When the pittas reach Sri Lanka in September and October, they are completely exhausted by the flight over the Palk Strait and can be seen in gardens. The reverse migration to their breeding areas in the north takes an equal toll on them. One of the birds was spotted in Sector 4 of Chandigarh at the residence of Gurnihal Singh Pirzada.

The writer is the secretary, Chandigarh Bird Club