Grey treepie

Dendrocitta formosae

Photo by Cherry Wong (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
grey treepie (en); pega-arbórea-cinzenta (pt); témia de Swinhoe (fr); urraca gris (es); graubrust-baumelster (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Corvidae

Range:
This species is found in south-eastern Asia, from the Himalayas in northern India into central and eastern China and south to northern Thailand and Laos.

Size:
These birds are 37-40 cm long and weigh 90-120 g.

Habitat:
The grey treepie is mostly found in mountain rainforests, also using rainforests at lower altitudes, temperate forests, moist scrublands, second growths and arable land.

Diet:
They are omnivorous, taking various invertebrates and small vertebrates, as well as seeds, nectar, fruits and berries.

Breeding:
Grey treepies nest in a flimsy platform made of sticks and lined with fine plant materials. It is usually placed in a tree 2-6 m above the ground, although in some cases they may nest on the ground. The female lays 2-5 pale green eggs with dark spots, which are incubated by both parents for 16-20 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 2-3 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be fairly common to common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to presumably ongoing habitat destruction on Hainan.