Dicruridae bird family

Order Passeriformes · 3 selected species

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Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus)Black DrongoDicrurus macrocercusAn adaptable songbird of open areas such as farmland, forest edge, meadows, wetlands, and fields and a common sight as a familiar dark silhouette perched on wires, fences, or snags. Black plumage flashes blue and green iridescence in favorable light, though much less so than in Hair-crested or Bronzed Drongo. A pugnacious species, frequently chasing away larger birds with repeated dives and harsh chattering calls. A skilled mimic of other species, and a strong songster in general, delivering a wide range of pleasant fluty calls, harsh chattering, nasal notes, and high sharp whistles.
Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus)Black DrongoDicrurus macrocercusAn adaptable songbird of open areas such as farmland, forest edge, meadows, wetlands, and fields and a common sight as a familiar dark silhouette perched on wires, fences, or snags. Black plumage flashes blue and green iridescence in favorable light, though much less so than in Hair-crested or Bronzed Drongo. A pugnacious species, frequently chasing away larger birds with repeated dives and harsh chattering calls. A skilled mimic of other species, and a strong songster in general, delivering a wide range of pleasant fluty calls, harsh chattering, nasal notes, and high sharp whistles.
Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis)Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisA red-eyed all-black upright bird with a narrow tail that splays out into a deep fork. Pairs and singles are found in a variety of wooded and open country, avoiding forest interior. They are often found in the vicinity of wild and domestic large mammals, hawking insects that they flush up. Occasionally joins mixed-species flocks. Loud and vocal bird that gives a variety of unmelodic, noisy, and mechanical notes, sometimes including imitations of other bird species. Similar to Sharpe’s and Square-tailed Drongos, but note larger size and much more deeply forked tail of Fork-tailed Drongo. Also similar to Velvet-mantled Drongo, but found in open habitats rather than forest, and has a glossy-black back that doesn’t contrast strongly with the glossy wing, and a less deeply forked tail.