Drongo

The drongos are a family of small passerine birds of the Old World tropics, the Dicruridae. This family was sometimes much enlarged to include a number of largely Australasian groups, such as the Australasian fantails, monarchs and paradise flycatchers. The name is originally from the indigenous language of Madagascar, where it refers to local species, but is now used to refer to all members of the family. The family is usually treated as having two genera, Chaetorhynchus and Dicrurus. The genus Chaetorhynchus contains a single species, the New Guinea endemic Pygmy Drongo. The placement of this species in the family is highly dubious due to both morphological and genetic differences, and it has recently been placed, along with the closely related Silktail of Fiji, with the fantails (Rhipiduridae). The remaining genus contains the remaining 25 species of drongo.

The family Dicruridae are believed to be most likely of Indo Malayan origin with a colonization of Africa about 15 million years ago. Dispersal across the Wallace Line into Australasia is estimated to have been more recent, around 6 mya.

These insectivorous birds are found in usually open forests or bush. Most are black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright whilst perched, like a shrike. Racket-tailed Drongos are the mimicry artists among birds. They can mimic the sound of other birds and some animals. They flycatch or take prey from the ground.

Two to four eggs are laid in a nest high in a tree. Despite their small size, they are aggressive and fearless, and will attack much larger species if their nest or young are threatened.

The word drongo is used in Australia as a mild form of insult tantamount to the term "idiot", which may refer to the seemingly madcap attacks these birds are prone to launch.

Species of Dicruridae in taxonomic order
A phylogenetic overview of the family.


 * Genus Dicrurus
 * Bronzed Drongo, Dicrurus aeneus
 * Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus remifer
 * Square-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus ludwigii
 * Shining Drongo, Dicrurus atripennis
 * Fork-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus adsimilis
 * Príncipe Drongo, Dicrurus modestus
 * Aldabra Drongo, Dicrurus aldabranus
 * Comoro Drongo, Dicrurus fuscipennis
 * Crested Drongo, Dicrurus forficatus
 * Mayotte Drongo, Dicrurus waldenii
 * Black Drongo, Dicrurus macrocercus
 * Ashy Drongo, Dicrurus leucophaeus
 * White-bellied Drongo, Dicrurus caerulescens
 * Crow-billed Drongo, Dicrurus annectans
 * Hair-crested Drongo, Dicrurus hottentottus
 * Balicassiao, Dicrurus balicassius
 * Sulawesi Drongo, Dicrurus montanus
 * Sumatran Drongo, Dicrurus sumatranus
 * Wallacean Drongo, Dicrurus densus
 * Ribbon-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus megarhynchus
 * Spangled Drongo, Dicrurus bracteatus
 * Andaman Drongo, Dicrurus andamanensis
 * Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus paradiseus
 * Sri Lanka Drongo, Dicrurus lophorinus
 * Tablas Drongo, Dicrurus menagei

Genus Chaetorhynchus (Now best placed with Rhipiduridae):
 * Pygmy Drongo, Chaetorhynchus papuensis



Other sources
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