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Drongos
A drongo is a member of the family Dicruridae of passerine birds of the Old World tropics. The 28 species in the family are placed in a single genus, ''Dicrurus''. Drongos are mostly black or dark grey, short-legged birds, with an upright stance when perched. They have forked tails and some have elaborate tail decorations. They feed on insects and small birds, which they catch in flight or on the ground. Some species are accomplished mimics and have a variety of alarm calls, to which other birds and animals often respond. They are known to utter fake alarm calls that scare other animals off food, which the drongo then claims. Taxonomy The genus ''Dicrurus'' was introduced by French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot for the drongos in 1816. The type species was subsequently designated as the balicassiao (''Dicrurus balicassius'') by English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1841. The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek words ''dikros'' "forked" and ''oura'' "tail". "Dro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fork-tailed Drongo
The fork-tailed drongo (''Dicrurus adsimilis''), also called the common drongo or African drongo, is a small bird found from the Sahel to South Africa that lives in wooded habitats, particularly woodlands and savannas. It is part of the Family (taxonomy), family Dicruridae and has four recognized subspecies, ''D. a adsimilis'', ''D. a. apivorus'', ''D. a. fugax'' and ''D. a. jubaensis''. Like other drongos, the fork-tailed is mostly Insectivore, insectivorous; its diet mainly consists of Butterfly, butterflies, termites, and grasshoppers. Physically, this species is characterized with a narrow fork-shaped tail, red-brownish eyes, and black plumage throughout all of its body. These birds nest close to wetlands, forests, and farms and the breeding season varies depending the region. The female usually lays one to four eggs, which hatch in 15 to 18 days. The fork-tailed drongo is known for its ability to Deception in animals#Tactical deception, deceptively mimic other bird alarm ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hair-crested Drongo
The hair-crested drongo (''Dicrurus hottentottus'') is an Asian bird of the family Dicruridae. This species was formerly considered conspecific with '' Dicrurus bracteatus'', for which the name "spangled drongo" – formerly used for both – is now usually reserved. Some authorities include the Sumatran drongo (''D. sumatranus'') in ''D. hottentottus'' as subspecies. It is native from Bangladesh, India, and Bhutan through Indochina to China, Indonesia, and Brunei. Hair-crested drongos move in small flocks and are very noisy. The "spangled drongo", '' Dicrurus bracteatus'', is native on the east coast of Australia and its name is pejorative slang for a silly person. This may be due to its strange chattering and cackling. Taxonomy In 1760, French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the hair-crested drongo in his ''Ornithologie'' based on a specimen that he mistakenly believed had been collected from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. He use ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Balicassiao
The balicassiao (''Dicrurus balicassius'') is a species of passerine bird in the family Dicruridae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. Description and taxonomy EBird describes the bird as "A medium-sized, long-tailed bird of lowland and foothill forest in the northern and central Philippines, where it is the only drongo in range. Entirely black with glossy blue upperparts and streaks on the head and neck. Tail flares out at the tip. A white-bellied race of the central Philippines may represent a separate species. Similar to Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo, but larger, with a thicker bill and upturned tail tips. Song is a complex mixture of grating scolds and loud whistles." In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the balicassiao in his ''Ornithologie'' based on a specimen collected in the Philippines. He used the French name ''Le choucas des Philippines'' and the Latin ''Monedula Philippens ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Velvet-mantled Drongo
The velvet-mantled drongo (''Dicrurus modestus'') is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It is found throughout the Cameroon line The Cameroon line (, , ) is a long chain of volcanoes that includes islands in the Gulf of Guinea and mountains on the African mainland, from Mount Cameroon on the coast towards Lake Chad on the northeast. They form a natural border between ea ... and the African tropical rainforest. References *Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2012. IOC World Bird Names (v 2.11). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ ccessed 2/27/2012 velvet-mantled drongo Birds of the African tropical rainforest Birds of the Gulf of Guinea velvet-mantled drongo {{Dicruridae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shining Drongo
The shining drongo (''Dicrurus atripennis'') is a species of bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ... in the family Dicruridae. It is native to the African tropical rainforest. References shining drongo Birds of the African tropical rainforest shining drongo Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by William Swainson {{Dicruridae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sharpe's Drongo
Sharpe's drongo (''Dicrurus sharpei'') is a species of drongo found in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is distributed from southern South Sudan and western Kenya to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Nigeria east of the Niger River and south of the Benue River. Sharpe's drongo was described in 1879 by the French zoologist Émile Oustalet from a specimen killed at Doume on the Ogooué River in Gabon. He coined the binomial name ''Dicrurus sharpei''. The specific epithet and the English name honours the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe. It was long considered a subspecies of the square-tailed drongo The square-tailed drongo (''Dicrurus ludwigii''), formerly the common square-tailed drongo, is a passerine bird in the family Dicruridae. It is a common resident breeder in parts of southern Africa. These insectivorous birds are usually found i ... (''Dicrurus ludwigii'') but a 2018 study of genetic divergences indicated that both were distinct species. It can be phys ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Square-tailed Drongo
The square-tailed drongo (''Dicrurus ludwigii''), formerly the common square-tailed drongo, is a passerine bird in the family Dicruridae. It is a common resident breeder in parts of southern Africa. These insectivorous birds are usually found in forests or dense bush. They are aggressive and fearless birds, given their small size, at , and will attack much larger species if their nest or young are threatened. The male is mainly glossy black, although the wings are duller. The female is similar but less glossy. The bill is black and heavy, and the eye is red. This species is similar to the fork-tailed drongo, but is smaller, and the shorter tail lacks the deep fork which gives the latter species its name. The fork-tailed drongo is also typically found in more open habitat. The common square-tailed drongo has short legs and sits very upright whilst perched prominently, like a shrike. It flycatches or take prey from the ground. The call is a harsh '. Two to three eggs are laid in a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crested Drongo
The crested drongo (''Dicrurus forficatus'') is a passerine bird in the family Dicruridae. It is black with a bluish-green sheen, a distinctive crest on the forehead and a forked tail. There are two subspecies; ''D. f. forficatus'' is endemic to Madagascar and ''D. f. potior'', which is larger, is found on the Comoro Islands. Its habitat is lowland forests, both dry and humid, and open savannah country. It is a common bird and the IUCN has listed it as "least concern". Taxonomy In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the crested drongo in his ''Ornithologie'' based on a specimen collected in Madagascar. He used the French name ''Le grand gobe-mouche noir hupé de Madagascar'' and the Latin ''Muscicapa Madagascariensis nigra major cristata''. The two stars (**) at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the examination of a specimen. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grande Comore Drongo
The Grand Comore drongo (''Dicrurus fuscipennis'') is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It is endemic to Comoros. The bird is glossy black with some matte brown contrasts and a forked tail. It is approximately long and has a black bill and legs. It feeds on fruit and large insects such as cockroaches, grasshoppers, beetles and mantes. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, pastureland, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease .... References Grand Comore drongo Endemic birds of the Comoros Grande Comore Grand Comore drongo Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Dicruridae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Balicassiao
The balicassiao (''Dicrurus balicassius'') is a species of passerine bird in the family Dicruridae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. Description and taxonomy EBird describes the bird as "A medium-sized, long-tailed bird of lowland and foothill forest in the northern and central Philippines, where it is the only drongo in range. Entirely black with glossy blue upperparts and streaks on the head and neck. Tail flares out at the tip. A white-bellied race of the central Philippines may represent a separate species. Similar to Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo, but larger, with a thicker bill and upturned tail tips. Song is a complex mixture of grating scolds and loud whistles." In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the balicassiao in his ''Ornithologie'' based on a specimen collected in the Philippines. He used the French name ''Le choucas des Philippines'' and the Latin ''Monedula Philippens ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
