The Papuan Pitta inhabits forests on New Guinea and nearby islands. It has a red belly, rusty nape, black throat, and a blue breast band edged in black. In the 2024 eBird taxonomy, the former northern and southern pittas are treated as one species.
It is plump, short-tailed, and long-legged, with greenish upperparts, a rusty nape, black throat, bright red belly, and a broad blue breast band edged by black.
In forest and secondary growth, singles or pairs forage on the forest floor; birds may also call from a low perch.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.