The Black Racket-tailed Treepie (Crypsirina temia) is an Asian tree pie,
a member of the Corvidae (crow) family.
It has a velvety-black forehead of short, plush black feathers with
the rest of the bird being an oily green color, though appearing black
in dim light. The tail feathers which in this species are long and
broaden at the tail's end are black also with a greenish tinge, as are
the wings. The iris of the bird is a turquoise-blue darkening towards
the pupil to a very deep or near black. The bill, legs and feet are
black.
This bird occurs in southern Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Indo-China,
Sumatra, Java and Bali in scrub and secondary growth, open fields and
gardens, bamboo thickets and open forest often near villages.
It almost always feeds in trees (arboreal) never feeding from the
ground though coming down to bathe on occasion. It moves through the
trees with great agility and uses its remarkable tail as a balancing
organ. It eats mainly insects and fruit.
A cup shaped nest is built in bamboo or shrubs especially thorny ones
often surrounded by open grassy areas and normally lays 2–4 eggs.
The voice is usually described as harsh and unattractive. It has
several described calls but a whining call is often heard. |
