India pitta bird accidentally found in China for first time

Sichuan residents discover carcass of species usually seen in South Asia

In the depths of the tropical and subtropical forests in Asia, Australasia and Africa, there resides a unique group of birds.

Adorned with resplendent, colorful plumage, pittas are a highly secretive avian family of mostly nonmigratory species. They have been considered by many ornithologists and bird watchers as precious gems amidst the dim, dense woods, earning them the colloquial name "jewel-thrush".

Taxonomically, pittas belong to the Passeriformes order and the Pittidae family. Among the most beautiful birds in the world, most of the pitta species are shy by nature and elusive in their movements, and many species have narrow distributions and low populations, making them a sought-after target for numerous bird enthusiasts.