When I first saw this noisy bird, perched on an electric wire on my terrace, I called it a mustard bird with a long tail. As I became interested in birds, I realised that it was a regular visitor to my home. Its call was the loudest and the most often heard in the gardens around my house.  

I was fascinated by it and loved to click pictures of it. One day, when a Rufous Treepie attacked a nesting Yellow-footed green pigeon mother and her chick in my garden, I didn’t like it anymore. Thankfully, the baby was saved.

Rufous Treepies are omnivorous and adaptable in their food habits. They eat a wide range of foods, including fruit, eggs, seeds, reptiles, small invertebrates, and honey.

I saw this one pecking on the nectar of the Semal (red cotton) tree, with its curved silver-black beak.

Rufous Treepies (Dendrocitta vagabunda) are passerine birds with three toes pointing forward and one pointing backwards, which helps them perch.

These intelligent and curious birds are members of the Corvidae (crow) family. In Hindi, one of their names is “Taka Chor”, which means “coin thief”. They are named so because they steal shiny objects, such as coins, to line their nest, perhaps to attract a mate.

Photos and text by Prerna Jain.