drongo

Drongo
Spangled Drongo
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Suborder:	Passeri
Family:	Dicruridae Vigors, 1825
Genera
Chaetorhynchus Dicrurus

The drongos are a family of small passerine birds of the Old World tropics. They are found in the family Dicruridae, which is sometimes much enlarged to include a number of largely Australasian groups, such as the Australasian fantails, monarchs and paradise flycatchers. The name is originally from the indigenous language of Madagascar, where it refers to local species, but is now used to refer to all members of the family.^[1]

Andaman Drongo, Dicrurus andamanensis

The family Dicruridae are believed to be most likely of Indo Malayan origin with a colonization of Africa about 15 million years ago. Dispersal across the Wallace Line into Australasia is estimated to have been more recent, around 6 mya.^[2]

These insectivorous birds are found in usually open forests or bush. Most are black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright whilst perched, like a shrike. Racket-tailed Drongos are the mimicry artists among birds. They can mimic the sound of other birds and some animals. They flycatch or take prey from the ground.

Two to four eggs are laid in a nest high in a tree. These are aggressive and fearless birds, given their small size, and drongos will attack much larger species if their nest or young are threatened.

Species of Dicruridae in taxonomic order

• Bronzed Drongo, Dicrurus aeneus
• Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus remifer
• Pygmy Drongo, Chaetorhynchus papuensis
• Square-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus ludwigii
• Shining Drongo, Dicrurus atripennis
• Fork-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus adsimilis
• Príncipe Drongo, Dicrurus modestus
• Aldabra Drongo, Dicrurus aldabranus
• Comoro Drongo, Dicrurus fuscipennis
• Crested Drongo, Dicrurus forficatus
• Mayotte Drongo, Dicrurus waldenii
• Black Drongo, Dicrurus macrocercus
• Ashy Drongo, Dicrurus leucophaeus
• White-bellied Drongo, Dicrurus caerulescens
• Crow-billed Drongo, Dicrurus annectans
• Hair-crested Drongo, Dicrurus hottentottus
• Balicassiao, Dicrurus balicassius
• Sulawesi Drongo, Dicrurus montanus
• Sumatran Drongo, Dicrurus sumatranus
• Wallacean Drongo, Dicrurus densus
• Ribbon-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus megarhynchus
• Spangled Drongo, Dicrurus bracteatus
• Andaman Drongo, Dicrurus andamanensis
• Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus paradiseus}}

References

Other sources

Wannan, Bill (1970), Australian Folklore, Lansdowne Press, ISBN 0-7018-1309-1 .

External links

• Drongo videos on the Internet Bird Collection