Wallacean Drongo
Dicrurus densus
A large red-eyed, glossy-black bird with a heavy bill and diagnostic tail shape. Tail is fanned at the tip and shallowly forked, the outer tail feathers often broad-tipped and slightly upturned. Juvenile has brown eyes. Singles, pairs, or groups can be found in varied habitats from sea level to foothills, including mangroves, forests, woodlands, and plantations, typically perching high. The only drongo in its range, this species can be told from crows by its red eyes and its tail shape. A noisy, vocal bird with highly varied calls, including metallic fluty notes, guttural “grrt” notes, and upslurred “weeeet” whistles.
Identification
The Wallacean drongo or Greater Wallacean drongo (Dicrurus densus) is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It can be found in the countries of Indonesia and East Timor. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the hair-crested drongo (Dicrurus hottentottus). Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Taxonomy
Genus: Dicrurus; Family: Dicruridae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Dicrurus densus
- Authority
- Bonaparte, 1850
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Dicruridae
- Genus
- Dicrurus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
The Wallacean drongo has a very large range and does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion. Its extent of occurrence is greater than 20,000 km2. The population trend is not known but it is not believed to be declining sufficiently rapidly, and the population size is believed to be large enough for it to not qualify as Vulnerable using the population size criterion. For these reasons the species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
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