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Difference between revisions of "Rufous Treepie" - BirdForum Opus

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====Movements====
 
====Movements====
 
A sedentary species.
 
A sedentary species.
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====Vocalisation====
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<flashmp3>Rufous_Treepie.mp3</flashmp3><br />
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''[[Media: Rufous_Treepie.mp3|Listen in an external program]]''<br />
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Recording by {{user|aloktewari|Alok Tewari}}<br />
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[[Bharatpur Keoladeo National Park]], [[India]], July-2015<br />
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Call of Ssp. bristoli
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
#{{Ref-Clements6thDec09}}#{{Ref-GillDonsker15V5.3}}#{{Ref-HM04}}#{{Ref-HBWVol14}}#{{Ref-RasmussenAnderton05}}
 
#{{Ref-Clements6thDec09}}#{{Ref-GillDonsker15V5.3}}#{{Ref-HM04}}#{{Ref-HBWVol14}}#{{Ref-RasmussenAnderton05}}

Revision as of 09:08, 22 August 2016

Photo by phbhanu
Bilasiya, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, June 2007

Alternative name: Indian Treepie

Dendrocitta vagabunda

Identification

46 - 50cm.

  • Blackish hood and breast
  • Large whitish panel on wings, black primaries
  • Tawny brown underparts and lower back
  • Ginger brown mantle
  • Short, thick, downcurved black bill
  • Long bluish-grey tail with a black band on the tip
  • Rounded wings

Sexes similar. Juveniles have browner hood and back, a pale buff rump and underparts and a buff-tipped tail. They sometimes lack rufous tones.

Photo by zweiblumen
Ranthambhore NP, Rajasthan, India, November 2005

Similar species

All other treepies have mainly black wings.

Distribution

Found from east Pakistan to India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, adjacent southern China (SW Yunnan), Thailand, Cambodia, south Laos and south and central Vietnam.
Generally common and widespread in its range. Localized in Vietnam.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Although the geographical variation seems to be clinal eight to nine subspecies are recognized. Clements[1] recognizes eight:

  • D. v. pallida in the western Himalayas and northwest India
  • D. v. vagabunda in the lower Himalayas and northeast India (south to Hyderabad)
  • D. v. parvula in southwest India (south Kanara to Cape Comorin)
  • D. v. vernayi in southeast India
  • D. v. sclateri in eastern Myanmar (upper Chindwin to Chin Hills and Arakan Yoma)
  • D. v. kinneari in southern Myanmar and northwest Thailand
  • D. v. saturatior in Tenasserim and southern Thailand
  • D. v. sakeratensis in eastern Thailand and Indochina

However, the arrangement of subspecies looks very different with Dickinson[3] and Gill and Donsker[2]:

Fledgling
Photo by ariban
Sagar Island, West Bengal, India, June 2012

Habitat

Open forest consisting of scrub, plantations and gardens. Also in city parks.
Mostly in lowlands but ascending as high as 2100m.

Behaviour

Usually seen in pairs or family groups. Follows other species (like Woodpeckers) and may ride on backs of domestic and wild large mammals, feeding on ectoparasites.

Diet

Omnivorous. It feeds on fruits, invertebrates, small reptiles and the eggs and young of birds.

Breeding

Breeding season generally from March to July, depending to rains. The nest is a rather small flimsy cup made of twigs. It's placed 6 - 8m above the ground, often in an exposed and prominent tree. Lays 2 - 6 eggs.

Movements

A sedentary species.

Vocalisation

<flashmp3>Rufous_Treepie.mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
Recording by Alok Tewari
Bharatpur Keoladeo National Park, India, July-2015
Call of Ssp. bristoli

References

  1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
  2. Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2015. IOC World Bird Names (version 5.3). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
  3. Dickinson, EC, ed. 2014. The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. 4th ed. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0956861122
  4. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
  5. Rasmussen, PC and JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334672

Recommended Citation

External Links


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