[3] The antpittas, a Neotropical bird family of some 50 species, resemble the pittas in their hopping gait, furtive behaviour, long legs and short tails.

[5] In 1855 the English ornithologist George Robert Gray designated the type species as Corvus triostegus Sparrman.

[6][7] The word Pitta is from the Telugu language and means "pretty", "bauble" or "pet".

[8] The genus contains 20 species, distributed from Africa, through southern, eastern and south-eastern Asia, to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Australia.

[2] However, following a 2006 study, some of the species were split off into two resurrected genera, Erythropitta and Hydrornis, though all members of the family continue to be known as "pittas".