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Spangled Drongo
Scientific Name: Dicrurus bracteatus
Description: The Spangled Drongo has glossy black plumage, with iridescent blue-green spots (spangles), a long forked tail and blood red eyes. Sexes are similar, but the female is slightly smaller. Occasional white spotting can be seen on the upper wings of both sexes. Young birds are more sooty black without the spangles and the eye is brown. The Spangled Drongo is noisy and conspicuous, usually active, and frequently aggressive to other species.
Similar species: Several other species are glossy black with red eyes. The Metallic Starling, Aplonis metallica, (21 cm - 24 cm) is found on the north-east coast, and has black plumage, brightly glossed with green and purple, a bright red eye and long tapered tail. The Trumpet Manucode, Manucodia keraundrenii, (28 cm - 32 cm) is restricted to northern Cape York Peninsula; it has slender plumes on the nape and throat. The adult male Common Koel, Eudynamys scolopacea, (40 cm - 46 cm) is larger and lacks the spangles and fish tail.
Distribution: Spangled Drongos are found throughout northern and eastern Australia. Also found in New Guinea and eastern Indonesia. Closely related species occur through south-east Asia to India, China, and the Philippines and on some south-west Pacific islands.
Habitat: Spangled Drongos prefer wet forests, but can also be found in other woodlands, mangroves and parks. They tend to avoid more dense forest types and rainforest interiors. Birds are more common in the north, and are often seen either singly or in pairs.
Seasonal movements: migratory; Individuals from the northern areas of Western Australia and the Northern Territory migrate northwards to Indonesia, while the eastern Australian birds migrate to New Guinea. Some Drongos in the south-east and central-east, however, remain in the same area or head south, occasionally turning up in Tasmania.
Feeding: The Spangled Drongo is usually seen perched on an open branch or telegraph wire, where it awaits a passing insect. Once seen, its prey is pursued in an acrobatic display, and is caught in the drongo's slightly hooked bill. The Spangled Drongo then returns to its perch to eat its victim. The prey is guided into the bill with the assistance of sensitive, long, wire-like bristles bordering the bill (rictal bristles). Insects are also taken from foliage and from under bark; fruit and nectar also form part of its diet.
Breeding: Spangled Drongos normally have only one clutch per season. Both adults participate in building the nest, which is a simple, shallow cup of twigs, vine tendrils and grasses, held together with spider web. It is placed in a horizontal fork of tree, normally toward outer edges and up to 10 m â 20 m above the ground. Both sexes incubate the eggs and care for the young. Spangled Drongos actively defend the nest against intruders.
Calls: A variety of sounds, including some distinctive metallic notes like a stretched wire being plucked, and occasional mimicry of other bird species.
Minimum Size: 28cm
Maximum Size: 32cm
Average size: 30cm
Average weight: 79g
Breeding season: September to March
Clutch Size: 3 to 5
(Source: www.birdsinbackyards.net)
© Chris Burns 2021
__________________________________________
All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.
black drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) is a small Asian passerine bird of the drongo family Dicruridae
#drongo #Dicrurusmacrocercus
(Dicrurus adsimilis)
It was one of the very few occations I had the chance to take a photo of these black birds mostly hiding in a shady tree...
Marakele National Park, South Africa
A spotted dove (spilopelia chinensis) and a black drongo (dicrurus macrocercus) sharing the topmost branches of a tree. Photographed on Hat Yao Noi, Phang Nga, Thailand.
Wild South Africa
Kruger National Park
The drongo will often be found following the large herbivores as they move along grazing and browsing. These smart birds have figured out that the larger animals will flush insects from their hiding places in the grass allowing the drongos to swoop in and catch their prey.
The black drongo is a small Asian passerine bird of the drongo family Dicruridae. It is a common resident breeder in much of tropical southern Asia from southwest Iran through India and Sri Lanka east to southern China and Indonesia.
Scientific name: Dicrurus macrocercus
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Phylum: Chordata
Higher classification: Dicrurus
Spotted this Australian Drongo during a short birding session at the Hunter Wetlands Center (Shortland, NSW; Australia) today.
It was perched on top of this post and seemed quite content to allow me to get close to it as it flew back and forth catching flying insects - that was until I got "The Look!!!"
Hope you like the image!
** Best viewed LARGE on Black!! **
Thanks again for any comment, views or favorites - much appreciated!
Hope you have a wonderful day and week everyone!
Red-eyed with a definite fish-tail, this is Australia's only drongo. Expert in aerial insect-hunting.
Wild South Africa
Kruger National Park
Drongos mainly feed on insects they catch in mid-air using their incredible aerial skills.
When times are hard, however, the crafty bird can make false alarms to warn other birds or even small mammals against non-existing danger to make the other animals drop their kill and flee from the scene. Meanwhile, the Drongo swoops in to pick up the remains.
They are actually pathological liars.
Spangled drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus)
Finally got a photo of one where it wasn't just sitting in the shade.
I'm back in full bird mode now that I have this new lens, although I feel like I might go herping soon; gotta find those rainy season frogs and snakes.
EDIT: Apparently non-pro members can't add a photo to more than 30 groups now, unless invited into more. I guess that's goodbye to the more niche groups I used to post to.
This was one of the few images I managed to get of this bird, because I didn't pay much attention to it, thinking I'd photographed this species before. After all, not only did it not have the species, but it is also a subspecies of Drongo endemic to Halmahera.
On the road between Subaim and Sidangoli.
Halmahera - North Moluccas - Indonesia
Species # 1758
Wikipedia: The black drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) is a small Asian passerine bird of the drongo family Dicruridae. It is a common resident breeder in much of tropical southern Asia from southwest Iran through India and Sri Lanka east to southern China and Indonesia and accidental visitor of Japan. It is an all black bird with a distinctive forked tail and measures 28 cm (11 in) in length. It feeds on insects, and is common in open agricultural areas and light forest throughout its range, perching conspicuously on a bare perch or along power or telephone lines. The species is known for its aggressive behavior towards much larger birds, such as crows, never hesitating to dive-bomb any bird of prey that invades its territory. This behavior earns it the informal name of king crow. Smaller birds often nest in the well-guarded vicinity of a nesting black drongo.
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
Spangled Drongo
Scientific Name: Dicrurus bracteatus
Description: The Spangled Drongo has glossy black plumage, with iridescent blue-green spots (spangles), a long forked tail and blood red eyes. Sexes are similar, but the female is slightly smaller. Occasional white spotting can be seen on the upper wings of both sexes. Young birds are more sooty black without the spangles and the eye is brown. The Spangled Drongo is noisy and conspicuous, usually active, and frequently aggressive to other species.
Similar species: Several other species are glossy black with red eyes. The Metallic Starling, Aplonis metallica, (21 cm - 24 cm) is found on the north-east coast, and has black plumage, brightly glossed with green and purple, a bright red eye and long tapered tail. The Trumpet Manucode, Manucodia keraundrenii, (28 cm - 32 cm) is restricted to northern Cape York Peninsula; it has slender plumes on the nape and throat. The adult male Common Koel, Eudynamys scolopacea, (40 cm - 46 cm) is larger and lacks the spangles and fish tail.
Distribution: Spangled Drongos are found throughout northern and eastern Australia. Also found in New Guinea and eastern Indonesia. Closely related species occur through south-east Asia to India, China, and the Philippines and on some south-west Pacific islands.
Habitat: Spangled Drongos prefer wet forests, but can also be found in other woodlands, mangroves and parks. They tend to avoid more dense forest types and rainforest interiors. Birds are more common in the north, and are often seen either singly or in pairs.
Seasonal movements: migratory; Individuals from the northern areas of Western Australia and the Northern Territory migrate northwards to Indonesia, while the eastern Australian birds migrate to New Guinea. Some Drongos in the south-east and central-east, however, remain in the same area or head south, occasionally turning up in Tasmania.
Feeding: The Spangled Drongo is usually seen perched on an open branch or telegraph wire, where it awaits a passing insect. Once seen, its prey is pursued in an acrobatic display, and is caught in the drongo's slightly hooked bill. The Spangled Drongo then returns to its perch to eat its victim. The prey is guided into the bill with the assistance of sensitive, long, wire-like bristles bordering the bill (rictal bristles). Insects are also taken from foliage and from under bark; fruit and nectar also form part of its diet.
Breeding: Spangled Drongos normally have only one clutch per season. Both adults participate in building the nest, which is a simple, shallow cup of twigs, vine tendrils and grasses, held together with spider web. It is placed in a horizontal fork of tree, normally toward outer edges and up to 10 m – 20 m above the ground. Both sexes incubate the eggs and care for the young. Spangled Drongos actively defend the nest against intruders.
Calls: A variety of sounds, including some distinctive metallic notes like a stretched wire being plucked, and occasional mimicry of other bird species.
Minimum Size: 28cm
Maximum Size: 32cm
Average size: 30cm
Average weight: 79g
Breeding season: September to March
Clutch Size: 3 to 5
(Source: www.birdsinbackyards.net)
© Chris Burns 2020
__________________________________________
All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.
White-bellied Drongo , Dicrurus caerulescens,
The White-bellied Drongo is a resident breeder in India and Sri Lanka. This species is usually found in open forest and well-wooded habitats. Two to four eggs are laid in a cup nest in a tree. These are aggressive and fearless birds, 24 cm in length, and will attack much larger species if their nest or young are threatened.
The adult White-bellied Drongo has dark grey upperparts, and the tail is long and deeply forked. The Indian race D. c. caerulescens has a pale grey underparts from the head to the breast, and is white from the belly down.