Rufous Treepie

Rufous Treepie

Dendrocitta vagabunda

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
at Ranthambore National Park

In 3 days >90%

1,630 Verified sightings at Ranthambore National Park From 2019 to 2026
22,678 In all 22 parks
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Rufous Treepie

The rufous treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) is a treepie, native to the Indian subcontinent and adjoining parts of Southeast Asia. It is a member of the crow family, Corvidae. It is long tailed and has loud musical calls making it very conspicuous. It is found commonly in open scrub, agricultural areas, forests as well as urban gardens. Like other corvids it is very adaptable, omnivorous and opportunistic in feeding.

The sexes are alike and the main colour of the body is cinnamon with a black head and the long graduated tail is bluish grey and is tipped in black. The wing has a white patch. The only confusable species is the grey treepie which however lacks the bright rufous mantle. The bill is stout with a hooked tip. The underparts and lower back are a warm tawny-brown to orange-brown in colour with white wing coverts and black primaries. The bill, legs and feet are black.

The widespread populations show variations and several subspecies are recognized. The nominate subspecies is found in the northeastern part of peninsular India south to Hyderabad. The desert form is paler and called pallida, vernayi of the Eastern Ghats is brighter while parvula of the Western... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:38

Thailand · 2025

© Jukree Sisonmak · XC1135774 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Duet0:19

India · 2026

© Ding Li Yong · XC1088161 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:35

Thailand · 2015

© Peter Ericsson · XC239890 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
~80%
2 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~70%
3 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
4 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
5 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
6 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~60%
7 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~60%
8 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
~50%
9 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
10 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
11 Gir National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
12 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
13 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
14 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
15 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
16 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
17 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
18 Eravikulam National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
19 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
20 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
21 Langtang National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
22 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hajipur 🇮🇳 India
~80%
2 Asansol 🇮🇳 India
~80%
3 Thiruvananthapuram 🇮🇳 India
~80%
4 Bareilly 🇮🇳 India
~70%
5 Tamluk 🇮🇳 India
~70%
6 Jaipur 🇮🇳 India
~70%
7 Patna 🇮🇳 India
~60%
8 Thrissur 🇮🇳 India
~60%
9 Madurai 🇮🇳 India
~60%
10 Kollam 🇮🇳 India
~60%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Aquaelegance 🇮🇳 India In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Rufous Treepie in Ranthambore National Park?

Very likely

About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous Treepie sighting in Ranthambore National Park on a given day, based on 1,630 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 251 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Rufous Treepie in Ranthambore National Park?

January–February and May

In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous Treepie in Ranthambore National Park on a given day, against about 60% in August, the lowest month. Those are among Ranthambore National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain a month against 270 mm in August.

What time of day is best to see a Rufous Treepie?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufous Treepie sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Ranthambore National Park the best place to see a Rufous Treepie?

Yes

Of the 22 parks where we can rate Rufous Treepie sightings, Ranthambore National Park has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Kanha National Park (India, about 70%) and Satpura National Park (India, about 60%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Rufous Treepie live in Ranthambore National Park?

Same family: Corvidae

The closest relatives of the Rufous Treepie that you can see in Ranthambore National Park (family Corvidae, Crows, Jays, and Magpies) are Large-billed Crow (about 40%) and House Crow (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Rufous Treepie sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Rufous Treepie is recorded against all the birds logged in Ranthambore National Park (1,630 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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