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| 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.
