Pitti is an uninhabited coral islet in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is located at about 24 km to the north of Kavaratti, 37 km to the east of Agatti and 42.5 km to the SSW of Amini Island.[1] The island is low and arid and, lacking adequate anchorage points, of difficult accessibility. There is another island with the same name in Lakshadweep which is part of the Kalpeni Atoll.
Pitti Island is 300 x 200 m in size and devoid of vegetation. There is a dark rock on the eastern side and several stone cairns.[2]
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The island is also known as Pakshipitti, pakshi meaning "bird" in Malayalam, owing to the pelagic birds nesting on it, such as the Sooty Tern (Sterna fuliginosa), the Greater Crested Tern (Sterna bergii) and the Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus). The birds nest side by side, but not intermixed, on the dry coral rubble. There is a seasonal pattern in the breeding period of the birds. Since it has no protecting reef surrounding it, the islet is periodically rinsed by wave action and there is no accumulation of guano on it.[3]
Pitti is located at the southern end of Pitti Bank, a largely submerged atoll, the same bank as Amini Island. Pitti and Amini are the only emerging features of this roughly triangular bank which has an area of 155.09 km². The bank stretches for about 50 km in a roughly NNE/SSW direction.[4] The 11th parallel north passes across the bank.