Rufous Treepie

 

An introduction of Rufous Treepie

Rufous Treepie (Scientific Name: Dendrocitta vagabunda) is a Passerine bird and belongs to Corvidae family. The Rufous Treepie  is endemic to the Indian subcontinent . Size of Rufous Treepie is around 45-55 cm from head to the tail. The Weight of adult varies between 90-140 gms. A local name for this bird "Kotri" is derived from the typical call while other names include "Handi Chancha" and "Taka Chor" (coin thief). In Bengali it is also known as "Lez Zhola".

How to identify Rufous Treepie

The adult Rufous Treepie has slate-grey color head, breast and upper mantle, with darker face and throat. The underparts and lower back are deep buff-rufous to orange-buff in color with white wing coverts and black primaries. On the upperwing, secondary wing-coverts and tertials are silvery-grey, contrasting with the black rest of wing. The long graduated tail is a light bluish-grey with a thick black band on the tip. 

The bill is stout with a hooked tip and blackish-grey in color. The eyes are deep red to reddish-brown. Legs and feet are dark grey.

Both male and female are similar.

The juvenile is duller with brown hood and mantle, whitish-buff rump, uppertail-coverts and underparts. The wings are brown instead black, and the pale grey wing panel is tinged creamy-buff. The outer rectrices show narrow pale buff tips.

The Rufous Treepie has distinctive dipping flight during which each dip ends in upwards jerk. The flight is undulating a swift noisy flapping, followed by a short glide on outspread wings and tail.

Habits and Habitats

The Rufous Treepie are often found at  all types of open deciduous woodlands, dry forest, mixed deciduous forest, scrub jungle near towns and villages and sometimes cultivated areas with scattered trees. It can be seen in urban parks and large gardens. 

This species is mainly visible in lowlands below 1000 meters. But according to the range, it can be found up to 2100 meters of elevation.

Food

Rufous Treepie are omnivorous. Their main foods are Insects, caterpillars, lizards, frogs, centipedes, young birds, small birds, rodents, bats, snakes, frogs, lizards and fruits. They also hunt  for birds’ nests and are highly destructive to the eggs and young of the smaller species.

The Rufous Treepie performs short hops with raised tail while  feeds on the ground. When feeding in trees it is very agile.  It clings and clambers among branches while searching for food.

Call

They have a wide repertoire of calls, some harsh and guttural, others quite melodious.  The Rufous Treepie gives loud, metallic, flute-like “koku-lii” or “ko-ki-la”. The pairs utter loud “kuki-uii-akuak” and also “ekhekhekh” calls.

Alarm calls are harsh “herh-herh-herh-herh hah-hah-hah herh-herh-herh…"

Distribution

The Rufous Treepie is found in Indian Subcontinent and adjacent parts of SE Asia. This species is resident in Pakistan and Indian Subcontinent, except on islands.

In SE Asia, it is locally common resident in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, S Annam and Cochinchina. 

Sub-species

Rufous Treepie has nine sub-species. They are : 

Dendrocitta vagabunda kinneari : This sub-species are found from southern Myanmar and northwest Thailand. 

Dendrocitta vagabunda pallida : This sub-species are found at the desert region and is paler in color.

Dendrocitta vagabunda sakeratensis : This sub-species are found at Eastern Thailand an Indochina.

Dendrocitta vagabunda sclateri : This sub-species are found from Upper Chindwin to the Chin Hills.

Dendrocitta vagabunda saturatior : This sub-species are found at Southern Thailand.

Dendrocitta vagabunda bristoli : This sub-species are found at Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Dendrocitta vagabunda vagabunda (Nominate sub-species) : This sub-species are found at Northeastern part of peninsular India, south to Hyderabad.

Dendrocitta vagabunda vernayi : This sub-species are found at  Eastern Ghats and is brighter in color.

Dendrocitta vagabunda parvula : This sub-species are found at the Western Ghats and is smaller in size.

Nesting and Breeding

The breeding season varies according to the range and extends from February to July. Breeding season  in  North India is from May–Jun and in Kerala from Mar–Apr. 

The Rufous Treepie breeds solitary. Both adults build the nest, a rather small and flimsy cup made with thin thorny twigs.  The inner cup is lined with rootlets and small twigs. It is placed at about 6-8 meters above the ground in isolated or prominent tree or in bush and are well concealed by foliage,

The female lays 2-6 eggs. Eggs are  pale greenish  with darker markings. Both male and female share incubation and all the nesting duties. The young are fed by both parents.