The white-bellied treepie 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.
Region
Western Ghats, southern India
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily along the Western Ghats from Karnataka through Kerala into Tamil Nadu, favoring evergreen and moist deciduous forests. It is most often encountered in mature forest, forest edges, and shade-grown plantations such as coffee and cardamom. The species spends much of its time in the mid to upper canopy, moving between trees in short, buoyant flights. It avoids very open country and heavily degraded scrub.
Altitude Range
0–1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The white-bellied treepie is a corvid restricted to the Western Ghats of southern India, where it frequents forest canopies and shaded plantations. It is easily told from the widespread rufous treepie by its crisp white underparts and pale bluish-white eyes. A bold and vocal species, it gives a rich variety of mews, whistles, and harsh chattering calls. As an omnivore, it helps control insect populations and also disperses seeds.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides between tree crowns
Social Behavior
Typically found in pairs or small family parties that move methodically through the canopy. It sometimes joins mixed-species foraging flocks. Nests are built high in trees; the cup-shaped nest holds a small clutch that both parents tend. Territorial calling and display flights are common during the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A varied repertoire of chattering scolds, mews, and fluty whistles, often delivered in rapid sequences. The tone is less grating than rufous treepie, and phrases can be repeated or improvised. Alarm calls are harsher and more rasping.
