Due to various habitat and anthropogenic disruptions, such as deforestation, wildfire, hunting, trapping, and cage-bird trade, the fairy pitta is rare and the population is declining in most places.

[6][11] The fairy pitta has a body length of 16–19.5 cm (6.3–7.7 in) and is easily discernible for its plumage of seven different colors reminiscent of a rainbow.

Even though the bird is fairly widespread throughout the eastern part of Asia, the fact that it is highly localized in subtropical forests suggests that the fairy pitta is faithful to wintering sites and requires specific habitat conditions.

[15] The fairy pitta leaving from Borneo in spring arrives in the Korean Peninsula in early or mid-May[16] and departs back to south in October.

[15][16] Similar to the groups breeding in Korea, the fairy pitta in Japan favors places with dense undergrowth of bushes, ferns, scrub, and grass, but with good visibility to be aware of predators or disturbances.

In Kōchi Prefecture, for instance, the fairy pitta prefers Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora) forest during the early days of its breeding season.

The fairy pitta in Japan mostly dwells on hill slopes below the altitude of 500 m, but occasional recordings indicate that some pairs live at altitudes as high as 1,200 m.[15] In Taiwan, the species was similarly found to favor areas covered with thick crown layer, variety of trees, no shrub or vine near the nest, and steep slopes that prevent intrusion of other animals.

[16] Arriving in mid to late April, the bird is usually spotted in the central and western regions, where much of the land is hilly or mountainous, at altitudes no higher than 1,300 m.[15][18] In China, the fairy pitta seems to be widely distributed in the mountains in the southeast, in mixed forests at altitudes between 500 m and 1,500 m. The same preference extends to Hong Kong, where the bird stops along its course of migrations.

From mid-May to early June, sometimes to late July, it likes to perch on a high tree branch in a posture resembling that of a kingfisher.

[18] The fairy pitta's preference for earthworms with their high energy content makes the abundance of this food item critical for nesting success.

The fairy pitta makes a relatively large nest in the dark place, such as in the crevice between rocks in thick broadleaf forest or foliage on a slope, 1–5 m above the ground.

The rate at which adult fairy pittas return from the wintering grounds appears to be 16–26%;[16] most casualties happening on the bird's northward migrating and during breeding seasons from May to July.

[3] The causes of habitat disruption, which encompasses deforestation in the bird's breeding range, are essentially the results of human activity, but the characteristics of threats vary from one region to another.

[16] Since the logging has ceased and old growth forests have begun to recover, the fairy pitta population is expected to gradually increase.

[15] In contrast, vast forested areas in Southeast China have in the last 50 years been clear-cut or converted due to an increased demand for timber and farmland.

[3][15] In Borneo, a fairy pitta wintering ground, the continuing destruction of the Sundaic lowland primeval forest is more devastating.

It is one of the most important Biodiversity hotspots in the world, but the deforestation is ongoing even in the protected areas and jeopardizing not only the fairy pitta, but also many other tropical species.

In Yunlin County, Taiwan, the largest known breeding group of the species is being severely impacted by the flooding from the Hushan Dam project.

[3] Despite the imminent threats that the fairy pitta is facing in Taiwan, however, quantitative data on the impact of human disturbance on the population remains limited, undermining the conservation efforts.

[6] As a response to rapidly declining populations in most areas, an increasing number of studies has focused on the fairy pitta in recent years,[6] and the species is now protected under various national conservation laws.

[3] Conservation of the fairy pitta requires measures specific to local levels and international cooperation, since the species is exposed to various threats during migration and stopovers.

[6] It has been suggested that more surveys of breeding sites, population sizes, and distribution of the bird be conducted along with research into its ecology, current conservation measures in parks, and the need for more sanctuaries.