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Drongo
The drongos are a family, Dicruridae, of passerine birds of the Old World tropics. The 30 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 hoax 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". "Drongo" i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fork-tailed Drongo
The fork-tailed drongo (''Dicrurus adsimilis''), also called the common drongo, African drongo or savanna drongo, is a small bird that can be found in a very substantial range, from the Sahel to South Africa, excepting the Congolian rainforests and Upper Guinean forests. They are a passerine, part of the family, Dicruridae, with four recognized subspecies. Physically this species is characterized with a narrow fork-shaped tail, red-brownish eyes, and black plumage throughout all of his body. As an omnivorous species, its diet consists of small insects, composing of butterflies, grasshoppers and beetles, besides fruit, including those of ''Azadirachta indica'' and ''Moringa oleifera''. The fork-tailed drongo is known for his ability to deceptively mimic other bird alarm calls in order for a certain animal to flee the scene so he can steal their food (kleptoparasitism). They are also notorious for displaying an aggressive and fearless behaviour by attacking and chasing off much la ... [...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] |
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 (''Dicrurus ludwigii'') but a 2018 study of genetic divergences indicated that both were distinct species. It can be physically distinguished from ''D. ludwigii'' by the lack of white tips on the axillaries as well as having a dull purplish-blue iridescence rather than the greenish blue-black iridescence of ''D. ludwigii''. References {{Taxonbar, from=Q60748670 Shar ... [...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] |
Glossy-backed Drongo
The glossy-backed drongo (''Dicrurus divaricatus'') is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It occurs in sub-Saharan Africa from south Mauritania and Senegambia across to Somalia and northern Kenya. The glossy-backed drongo was described by the German naturalist Hinrich Lichtenstein in 1823 from a specimen obtained in Senegambia. He coined the binomial name ''Muscicapa divaricata''. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the fork-tailed drongo (''Dicrurus adsimilis'') but it is now considered as a separate species based on the phylogenetic relationships determined in a molecular study published in 2018. There are two subspecies: * ''D. d. divaricatus'' ( Lichtenstein, MHK, 1823) – Senegambia and south Mauritania to southwest Chad * ''D. d. lugubris'' (Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828) – south Chad to Eritrea, Ethiopia, north Kenya, and north Somalia References glossy-backed drongo glossy-backed drongo The glossy-backed drongo (''Dicrurus divaricatus'') is a sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Square-tailed Drongo
The common square-tailed drongo (''Dicrurus ludwigii''), formerly the 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] |
Fanti Drongo
The Fanti drongo (''Dicrurus atactus'') is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It is found in sub-Sahara Africa from Sierra Leone to southwestern Nigeria. The Fanti drongo was described by the American ornithologist Harry C. Oberholser in 1899 from a specimen collected in the Fanti district of Ghana. He considered it as a subspecies of the velvet-mantled drongo (''Dicrurus modestus'') and introduced the trinomial name ''Dicrurus modestus atactus''. The specific epithet ''atactus'' is from the Ancient Greek ατακτος ''ataktos'' "disorderly" or "lawless". Based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2018, it is now treated as a separate species. References Fanti drongo Birds of West Africa Fanti drongo Fanti drongo The Fanti drongo (''Dicrurus atactus'') is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It is found in sub-Sahara Africa from Sierra Leone to southwestern Nigeria. The Fanti drongo was described by the American ornithologist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Velvet-mantled Drongo
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The velvet-mantled drongo (''Dicrurus modestus'') is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It is found from Nigeria and Cameroon to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola. 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 West Africa Birds of the Gulf of Guinea velvet-mantled drongo The velvet-mantled drongo (''Dicrurus modestus'') is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It is found from Nigeria and Cameroon to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Square-tailed Drongo
The western square-tailed drongo (''Dicrurus occidentalis'') is a species of drongo found in western Africa, where it is distributed from Senegal to the portion of Nigeria west of the Niger River. Its preferred habitat is secondary forest and gallery forest. The western square-tailed drongo was first described in 2018 based on a genetic and morphological study of African drongos. Its closest relative is Sharpe's drongo (''Dicrurus sharpei''), from which it diverged about 1.3 million years ago. It can be differentiated from Sharpe's drongo by the differing bill width and height, and can be differentiated from other west African drongo species by its dull purplish blue gloss. Despite these morphological differences, it was long overlooked by taxonomists as there has been less research on west African drongos than on drongos in other parts of Africa. References {{Taxonbar, from=Q55753836 western square-tailed drongo Birds of West Africa western square-tailed drongo The west ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drongo Fantail
The drongo fantail (''Chaetorhynchus papuensis''), also known as the pygmy drongo, is a species of passerine bird endemic to the island of New Guinea. It is the only species in the genus ''Chaetorhynchus''. The species was long placed within the drongo family Dicruridae, but it differs from others in that family in having twelve rectrices instead of ten. Molecular analysis also supports moving the species out from the drongo family, instead placing it as a sister species to the silktail of Fiji, and both those species in the fantail Fantails are small insectivorous songbirds of the genus ''Rhipidura'' in the family Rhipiduridae, native to Australasia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Most of the species are about long, specialist aerial feeders, and named as "f ... family Rhipiduridae. References External linksImage at ADW Rhipiduridae Birds described in 1874 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Rhipiduridae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aldabra Drongo
The Aldabra drongo (''Dicrurus aldabranus'') is a species of bird in the drongo family Dicruridae. It is endemic to Seychelles, where it occurs only on the island of Aldabra. It has a small population of only around 1000 birds.Skerrett A, Bullock I & Disley T (2001) ''Birds of Seychelles''. Helm Field Guides The appearance of this species is typical for drongos, with entirely black plumage, a heavy bill and a red eye. The tail is long and forked. Juvenile birds have a grey back, lighter blotched undersides and a brown eye. Its call is a harsh chuckle. Its natural habitats are tropical mangrove forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...s and cassurina woodland and dense scrub. References Birds of Seychelles Drongos Endemic fauna of Seychelles Birds descri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grand Comoro Drongo
The Grand Comoro 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 24 cm 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. References Grand Comoro drongo Endemic birds of the Comoros Grande Comore Grand Comoro drongo The Grand Comoro 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 24 cm long and ha ... Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Dicruridae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
