A kind of rarely seen bird in China, the Blue-naped Pitta (Pitta nipalensis) has been recently found in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG).

A group of bird-watchers from Beijing, Fujian, and Jiangsu have found Blue-naped Pitta in December 2011 in the tropical rainforest within XTBG. It is also the first record of the bird species in XTBG. They also found the Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii), which was first found in Ruili, Yunan a few years ago.

XTBG has become a hot spot among bird lovers in these two years, coming for watching birds. A series of popular science activities have been organized, especially the second Bird-watching Festival during the period of the coming New Year, which include guided walks for bird-watching, booth exhibitions, photography workshops, and talks on bird related issues, etc.

The Blue-naped Pitta (Pitta nipalensis) is a species of bird in the Pittidae family. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.

Blue-naped Pitta (Pitta nipalensis)