A photo of a Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda)
Rufous Treepie

Rufous Treepie

Dendrocitta vagabunda

The rufous treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) is a treepie, native to the Indian Subcontinent and adjoining parts of Southeast Asia. It is a member of the crow family, Corvidae. It is long tailed and has loud musical calls making it very conspicuous. It is found commonly in open scrub, agricultural areas, forests as well as urban gardens. Like other corvids it is very adaptable, omnivorous and opportunistic in feeding. The sexes are alike and the main colour of the body is cinnamon with a black head and the long graduated tail is bluish grey and is tipped in black. The wing has a white patch. The only confusable species is the grey treepie which however lacks the bright rufous mantle. The bill is stout with a hooked tip. The underparts and lower back are a warm tawny-brown to orange-brown in colour with white wing coverts and black primaries. The bill, legs and feet are black. The widespread populations show variations and several subspecies are recognized. The nominate subspecies is found in the northeastern part of peninsular India south to Hyderabad. The desert form is paler and called pallida, vernayi of the Eastern Ghats is brighter while parvula of the Western Ghats is smaller in size. The form in Afghanistan and Pakistan is bristoli while the form in southern Thailand is saturatior. E. C. Stuart Baker describes sclateri from the upper Chindwin to the Chin Hills and kinneari from southern Myanmar and northwest Thailand. The population in eastern Thailand an Indochina is sakeratensis.
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Rufous Treepies on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
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Chonseng N Sangma
Sunday 26 Mar 2023 - 2:26am
India
A photo of a Rufous Treepie photographed in PPL Plant waterbody, Paradeep, Odisha, India India
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SUBHI MAHAPATRA
Monday 27 Feb 2023 - 6:09am
India
A photo of a Rufous Treepie photographed in  India
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SUBHI MAHAPATRA
Friday 17 Feb 2023 - 1:46am
India
A map showing the sighting location
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A Tucker
Saturday 11 Feb 2023 - 5:49am
India
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