Rufuos tree pie is a member of the Corvidae family.This noisy bird is found across India. It is an arboreal species, often feeding in treetops with great agility. It is native to the Indian Subcontinent and adjoining parts of Southeast Asia. The range of this species is quite large, covering all of mainland India up to the Himalayas, and south easterly in a broad band into Burma (Myanmar), Laos, and Thailand. The Rufous Treepie frequents all types of open deciduous woodlands, dry forest, mixed deciduous forest, secondary growth and sometimes cultivated areas with scattered trees. It can be seen in urban parks and large gardens. This species is visible mainly in lowlands, and usually below 1000 metres, but according to the range, it can be found up to 2100 metres of elevation. Commonly occurring and sighted bird in NEERI campus.

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 adult of nominate race has sooty blackish head, breast and upper mantle, with darker face and throat. The upperparts are rufescent-brown turning orange-buff on uppertail-coverts. On the upperwing, secondary wing-coverts and tertials are silvery-grey, contrasting with the black rest of wing. The long graduated tail is pale grey with wide terminal band. On the underparts, the lower parts are deep buff-rufous, turning orange-buff on undertail-coverts. The bill is blackish-grey. The eyes are deep red to reddish-brown. Legs and feet are dark grey.

The Rufous treepie is an arboreal omnivore feeding almost completely in trees on fruits, seeds, invertebrates, small reptiles and the eggs and young of birds. It is an agile forager, clinging and clambering through the branches and sometimes joining mixed hunting parties along with species such as drongos and babblers. It has been observed feeding on ecto-parasites of wild deer. They are known to feed on the fruits of Parwal which are toxic to mammals.

The breeding season in India is April to June. The nest is built in trees and bushes and is usually a shallow platform. There are usually 3-5 eggs laid.

The Rufous Treepie gives loud, metallic, flute-like "koku-lii" or "ko-ki-la". This advertising call is very familiar in India. The pairs utter loud "kuki-uii-akuak" and also "ekhekhekh" calls. Alarm calls are harsh "herh-herh-herh-herh hah-hah-hah herh-herh-herh..." These birds have wide repertoire of harsh calls, squawks and musical notes.