Drongo

The Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus), commonly known as King Crow, is a tiny Asian passerine bird in the Dicruridae drongo family. It was once thought to be a subspecies of the African Fork-tailed Drongo, but it is now considered a separate species. It is a widespread resident breeder across much of tropical southern Asia, from southwest Iran to southern China and Indonesia, via India and Sri Lanka. It's a completely black bird with a forked tail that reaches 28 cm (11 in) long.

It feeds on insects and is seen throughout its range in open agricultural areas and light forest, perching prominently on a bare perch or along power or telephone wires. The species is well-known for its violent behaviour toward much larger birds, such as crows, and will dive-bomb any birds of prey who intrude on its area. Smaller birds frequently nest in the well-defended surroundings of a Black Drongo nest. The Black Drongo was imported to certain Pacific islands, where it thrived and became so abundant that it threatened and wiped out native and endemic bird species.

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Taxonomy

The Black Drongo's nearest relative is the Fork-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus adsimilis, and the two species just recently diverged. The Black Drongo was once considered a subspecies of the Fork-tailed Drongo, but it is now regarded as a separate species. The Fork-tailed Drongo is an African species, whereas the Black Drongo is an Asian one. Although seven subspecies have been named, many of them are part of clines and interact with one another. Northern India's race albirictus is larger than Sri Lanka's race minor, while peninsular India's nominate race is intermediate in size. 

Physical Characteristics

Drongo Birds are tiny to medium-sized crow-like birds that are often very dark grey to black all over, with a few species being light grey. Black plumage (feathers) sparkles with iridescent green, deep blue, or purple, or the plumage may have spangles, or coloured iridescent patches. The eyes are bright red or orange, which usually indicates that the bird is a drongo rather than any unrelated black bird. The tail is usually lengthy and forked, with a complex and ornamental shape. Most animals have a crest on their heads. The body length of drongos varies between species and spans from 7 to 15 inches (18 to 38 cm). Long hairs surround the base of the beak. Wings are long, rounded, or pointed. The legs, which are usually black, are short and have strong feet and toes. Males are significantly larger than females, although colouring is the same or slightly different between the sexes.

Habitat

The Black Drongo is mostly found in open areas, where it perches and hunts close to the ground. They are mostly aerial hunters of insects, but they will also scavenge from the ground or off vegetation. Summer visitors to northeastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, but residents from the Indus Valley to Bangladesh, and into India and Sri Lanka. Seasonal shifts in some groups are poorly understood. The Black Drongo inhabits savannas, pastures, and urban areas. Black Drongos were introduced from Taiwan to the island of Rota shortly before WW-II to aid in insect control. They are thought to have scattered over the sea to the island of Guam in the 1950s. They were the fourth most regularly sighted bird in roadside counts on Guam in 1967, and they are now the most prevalent bird there. Black Drongo predation and competition have been proposed as contributors to the demise of indigenous bird species such as the Rota Bridled White-eye and the Guam Flycatcher.

Diet

Grasshoppers, cicadas, termites, wasps, bees, ants, moths, beetles, and dragonflies are the primary food sources for Black Drongos. They will occasionally fly near tree branches in an attempt to disturb any insects that may be present. They swarm in ploughed fields, where they pick up exposed caterpillars and beetle grubs. At such gatherings, up to 35 birds have been observed. They are also drawn to burning grasslands where insects have been disturbed. They appear to avoid being stung by flies. They hang together with Common Mynas, Cattle Egrets, and other birds with similar diets and habitats. Drongos benefit from this relationship and are more successful foragers as a result. There is just a slight overlap in the insect prey sought by mynas and drongos, yet drongos may steal mynas of prey in exceptional cases. It is reported that they replicate the Shikra's call in order to frighten mynas and subsequently take the prey. The Fork-tailed Drongo exhibits similar behaviour, including the use of false alarm sounds. There have been reports of the Black Drongo preying on small birds, reptiles, and maybe bats. They have also been observed feasting on dead fish on occasion. Tree flowers such as Erythrina and Bombax may be visited for water and nectar, and they have been observed feeding on grains. Larger arthropods, such as scorpions and centipedes, have only been seen on rare occasions. They frequently feed on insects late at night beneath electric lights and sometimes graze.

Behaviour and Breeding

Black Drongos breed mostly in southern India in February and March, and in other areas of the nation until August. During the breeding season, both males and females sing in the mornings. Aerobatic chases are part of courtship, and they may lock their wings and beaks together, with the pair occasionally plummeting to the ground. Pair bonds are maintained during the breeding season. The nest is a cup constructed in a week by both the male and female from a thin layer of sticks placed in the fork of a branch. In April, eggs are laid close to the first rains. The typical clutch consists of three or four eggs laid in a cup nest at the fork of an outer branch of a tree. Large foliage trees like Jackfruit are desired. The eggs are pale cream to scarlet in colour with spots and patterns and measure 26 mm (1.05 in) long and 19 mm broad (0.75 in). Both parents incubate the eggs, which hatch after 14 to 15 days.

Nestlings are brooded for the first five days, after which the young may maintain a somewhat consistent body temperature. If the original clutch is destroyed, a second clutch may be laid. Nests are occasionally created in telephone poles. Helpers, youngsters from the previous brood, have been observed occasionally assisting in feeding the fledglings at their parents' nest. There have been reports of Asian Koel brood parasitism. The average breeding success rate was 44 percent, with the main cause of fledgling mortality being a lack of bug food, which was reliant on rainfall.

Growth 

The gape of young birds is yellowish-red. Feather follicles sprout on the fourth day, and pin feathers appear a week later. Nestlings gain weight steadily until they reach the age of 12 days. On the eighth day, the eyes open, the iris turning reddish-black and the gape turning crimson. On the 16th or 17th day, the young leave the nest. For three weeks, they do not have the fork in the tail. For a month, their parents will continue to feed and protect them. Young birds may beg for food for extended periods of time, but they are frequently ignored or frightened away by adults. In around two years, birds attain breeding conditions. Birds dropping a leaf in the air and catching it in mid-flight have been observed to engage in play behaviour, which may aid in the development of juvenile birds' aerobatic skills. From June through October, they moult their feathers in southern India. The wing moult begins in July with the first primary and continues until the eleventh primary. After the primary (the longest wing feathers) reach the third quill in August, the secondaries are replaced. The secondary moult is disorganised, with the eighth and seventh dropping earlier than the rest. The tail feathers will be moulted centrifugally. Seasonal colour variations in their testicular tissues are observed as a result of melanin synthesis, and this dark pigmentation is removed during the reproductive phase.

Conservation Status

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) classifies two Drongo Birds as Endangered, having a very high risk of extinction, and four as Near Threatened, with a high risk of extinction. Five of the six named species live on small islands (Aldabra, Andamans, Comoros, Principe, and Mayotte), with the sixth on Sumatra, a much larger island. Sumatra has lost half of its original habitat, while the small islands have lost most of their indigenous ecosystem.

Threats 

Their habit of scaring predators away from their nests is thought to attract other birds, such as orioles, doves, pigeons, babblers, and notably bulbuls, to nest nearby. In one research, Red-vented Bulbuls nested within 10 metres of 18 of 40 nests (33 ft). A case of interspecific feeding has been documented, with a Red-vented Bulbul feeding Black Drongo chicks at a nest. When mobbing, they will occasionally alight on birds of prey and peck them. It's possible that the Asian Drongo-cuckoo (Surniculus lugubris) evolved to mimic this species. The intensity of mobbing predators was researched in Java, and studies revealed that there was a considerable increase in the mobbing of some predators, such as the Javan Hawk-eagle, during the breeding season, while the Black Eagle, a nest predator, is mobbed with equal intensity throughout the year. It has been believed that this method aids in preventing the location of nests from being revealed during the breeding season.

Interesting Facts 

• Drongo Birds are a type of little passerine bird found in the Old World tropics. They are brave and aggressive birds with booming voices.

• Drongos are found in roughly 30 different species. It is unknown how many people they have.

• Drongo can be found in open woodlands or bush throughout the Australian Peninsula, New Guinea, the southern hemisphere, and Indonesia. They are also present in several parts of India.

• They are most commonly found in open woodlands, where they perch and hunt near the ground. These long-tailed birds with forked tails are primarily found in savanna, fields, and urban areas.

• These fork-tailed drongos are social creatures. They are not discovered alone.

• In the wild, they have a lifespan of 15 years.

• To combine forces and fool numerous hunting partners, the black fork-tailed drongo bird employs vocal communication.

• They have powerful flap wings and can perform quick manoeuvres. Their speed is so fast that a skilled photographer would struggle to capture them. Their precise speed is unknown.

• There are no sex-specific names for these glossy black fork-tailed drongos, also known as Dicruridae.

• Drongo birds are little in size, yet they are fierce and fearless, and they will attack if provoked. The species is extremely hostile toward larger birds, such as crows. When their nest or young are threatened, they will battle any bird of prey that enters their area. Smaller birds usually nest within the well-defended area of a nesting glossy black drongo.

• Because of its aggressive and fearless personality, the fork-tailed drongo is not an excellent pet. They are general bullies and attackers.

• The spangled drongo is from the bird’s family of Dicruridae. It is the only drongo found in Australia, and it can be identified by its black, iridescent plumage and distinctive forked tail.

• Drongo Bird India - The bird has a long and beautifully deep forked tail, which is a feature shared by most Drongos in India.

Drongo, any of the approximately 30 species of Old World forest birds that make up the Dicruridae family (order Passeriformes). Drongos frequently attack much larger birds that may harm their eggs or young; harmless birds (such as doves and orioles) nest near drongos for protection. Most drongos are 18 to 63.5 cm long and glossy black, with white on the head; most have flaming red eyes. Some have crested heads or plumes on their heads, and their tails are usually long and forked with out-turned corners. The Southeast Asian racket-tailed drongo's tail is covered in 30cm (12-inch) "wires"—outer feathers that are unbranched for the majority of their length and have quite big vanes at the ends. Drongos live in forests, open areas, and gardens from Africa to Central Asia, Australia, and the western Pacific islands. They eat huge insects and termites, much like flycatchers and shrikes. Their voices are a noisy blend of harsh and pleasant sounds; some species, such as the racket-tail, are excellent mimics. The nest is a flimsy basket that appears to be too tiny for the huddled bird.