The Fairy Pitta (Pitta nympha) is a long-distance migratory land bird restricted to the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Known in Mandarin as the "eight-colored bird" (八色鳥), its extensive breeding range includes the Korean Peninsula, China, Japan, and Taiwan. Taiwan, however, is where much of the research on the species over the last 20 years has been conducted. This passerine also holds special significance in Taiwan among those involved in the country's environmental movement as it played an outsized role in Taiwan's modern conservation history. Yet for such a brightly colored bird, it still keeps its secrets well hidden. Even now, there is much that is not known about the species, which is considered "vulnerable" by the IUCN.

This piece was first published in BirdingASIA: The Bulletin of the Oriental Bird Club (Number 37 June 2022). The Oriental Bird Club aims to encourage an interest in wild birds in Asia and their conservation; promote the work of local bird and nature societies in the region; support projects on the ground for research and conservation of threatened birds; and collate and publish information on Asian birds. The authors would like to express their gratitude to the OBC for allowing us to contribute this piece. To learn more about the OBC, please visit: https://www.orientalbirdclub.org/(link is external).