Wildlifeof Nepal
Rufous Treepie
Crows, Drongos, Orioles & Shrikes
Photo: Manjith Kainickara from Dallas, Texas, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Dendrocitta vagabunda
Basic stats
Diet
Omnivore: invertebrates, small reptiles, eggs and young of birds, seeds, fruit and nectar
Habitat
Open scrub, agricultural land, forest and urban gardens; nests in trees and bushes
Clutch size
Usually 3–5 eggs
The rufous treepie is a long-tailed member of the crow family with loud musical calls, making it very conspicuous. The sexes are alike, with a cinnamon body, a black head, a long graduated blue-grey tail tipped in black and a white wing patch; the bill, legs and feet are black. The only confusable species is the grey treepie, which lacks the bright rufous mantle. It is found commonly in open scrub, agricultural areas, forests and urban gardens (Wikipedia, general species account).
Like other corvids it is adaptable and opportunistic, feeding on invertebrates, small reptiles, the eggs and young of birds, seeds, fruit and the nectar of Bombax ceiba. The commonest call is a bob-o-link or ko-tree, from which the local name kotri derives, and it is also known as taka chor, the coin thief (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Rufous Treepie eat?
- Omnivore: invertebrates, small reptiles, eggs and young of birds, seeds, fruit and nectar
- What habitat does the Rufous Treepie live in?
- Open scrub, agricultural land, forest and urban gardens; nests in trees and bushes
- How many eggs does the Rufous Treepie lay?
- Usually 3–5 eggs