Rufous Treepie

Latin Name: 
Dendrocitta vagabunda
Category: 
Size: 
50cm
Description: 

Sexes alike. Rufous above; sooty grey-brown head and neck; black, white and grey on wings, best seen in flight; black-tipped, grey tail, long and graduated.  Pairs or small parties; often seen in mixed hunting parties, appearing as leader of pack; feeds up in trees, but also descends low into bushes and onto ground to pick up termites; bold and noisy; rather tame and confiding in certain areas. The Grey Treepie D. formosae replaces the Rufous Treepie at higher altitudes.

Habitat: 
forests, gardens, cultivation, habitation.
Food: 
insects, lizards, small birds, eggs, fruit, flower nectar; kitchen scraps in some areas.
Distribution: 
almost all India, up to about 1,500m in outer Himalaya.
Call: 
Call Description: 
common call a fluty 3-note goo…ge… lay or ko…ki…la; harsh, guttural notes often uttered.
National Status: