White-bellied treepie

White-bellied treepie
Calls
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Corvidae
Genus:	Dendrocitta
Species:	D. leucogastra
Binomial name
Dendrocitta leucogastra Gould, 1833[2]

The white-bellied treepie (Dendrocitta leucogastra) is a bird of the crow family endemic to the forests of southern India. They overlap in distribution in some areas with the rufous treepie but are easy to tell apart both from appearance and call.

Description

The white of the head and body makes it easy to distinguish from the sympatric rufous treepie. This tends to be found in more dense forest and is less associated with human habitation than the rufous treepie.^[3] The white-bellied treepie is 48 cm (19 in) long.^[4] The back of the neck is white, and the throat and breast are black. The thighs are black, and the undertail coverts are chestnut. The rest of the underparts is white. The back is chestnut-brown. The wings are black and have a white patch. The rump is white. Two-thirds of the two central tail feathers are silver-grey, and the terminal third is black. The other tail feathers are black. The beak is black, and the legs are greyish-black.^[4]

Distribution

It is found in the forests of the Western Ghats mainly south of Goa.^[5] A record from Erimalai near Dharmapuri^[6] and reports from the Surat Dangs and the southeastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh stand outside its main distribution range. A record from central India (Chikalda, Gawilgarh^[7]) has been questioned.^[3]

Behaviour and ecology

The white-bellied treepie eats fruits, seeds, nectar, invertebrates, reptiles, rodents, nestlings and eggs.^[4] When calling, the bird bows and droops its wings. Several birds may arrive at one tree and call repeatedly during the pre-monsoon breeding season (mainly April–May but some nests from February). The nest is a platform of twigs on a medium-sized tree. Three eggs are laid, ashy grey with green and grey blotches.^[8][7]

It is associated with mixed-species foraging flocks and is often found along with greater racket-tailed drongos.^[3]

Gallery

• 
  Illustration by John Gould attached to his species description
• 
  Close-up
• 
  In Thattekad Bird Sanctuary
• 
  Dorsal view, in Parambikulam Tiger Reserve

References

1. BirdLife International (2020). "Dendrocitta leucogastra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22705846A177284821. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22705846A177284821.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
2. Gould, J. (1835). "X. On a new Genus in the Family of Corvidae". Transactions of the Zoological Society of London. 1: 87–90. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1835.tb00606.x.
3. Rasmussen, PC & JC Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Volume 2. Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions. p. 596.
4. Madge, Steve (2010). Crows and Jays. A&C Black. p. 116. ISBN 9781408131695.
5. Daniels, R J Ranjit; NV Joshi & Madhav Gadgil (1992). "On the relationship between bird and woody plant species diversity in the Uttara Kannada district of south India" (PDF). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 89 (12): 5311–5315. Bibcode:1992PNAS...89.5311D. doi:10.1073/pnas.89.12.5311. PMC 49281. PMID 11607298.
6. Daniels, R.J.R. & MV Ravikumar (1997). "Birds of Erimalai". Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 37 (5): 80–82.
7. Baker, ECS (1922). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Birds. Volume 1 (2nd ed.). Taylor and Francis, London. pp. 51–52.
8. Hume, A O (1889). The Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds. Volume 1. R H Porter, London. p. 22.