Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis)

March 31, 2010 | Posted by Safari Guide

The Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis), is common sight on safari in Southern Africa. It is an insect eating bird, and is often seen perched on the telegraph wire, or on a bare projecting branch that affords a good view of the countryside. From his airy perch the Drongo watches for insects and enemies.

Any flickering wing of butterfly or beetle or grasshopper will bring him swooping down on his prey, and if there seems a dearth of flying insects to appease his hunger the Drongo will feed on the ground, snapping up ants.

Drongos and Kleptoparasitism
Kleptoparasitism is defined as the theft of food procured or prepared by another individual and it has been shown that some Fork-tailed Drongos in the Kalahari will wait for suricates (a desert mongoose) to catch a largish prey item such as a scorpion, whereupon they then mimic the suricates alarm call for an aerial predator. The suricate then dashes below ground leaving the prey item, which the Drongo then swoops down to catch! (reference: Beat About the Bush by Trevor Carnaby, an excellent book that I highly recommend to those who want to learn more than just identifying African birds as it is full of incredible facts and information – see below)

The Drongo likes his country to himself. He and his mate will choose for themselves a stretch of treeveld which they will defend fiercely against any intruding bird of prey. Drongos are the most fearless of birds, they are called ‘Induna yezinyoni’ ‘Chieftain of the birds’ by the Africans, for they will attack and drive off hawks, owls and even eagles, in defence of their chosen territory.

The male and female Drongos are alike in plumage. Their feathers are a glossy black and their forked tails are unmistakable guide to identity. The square-tailed Drongo is the nearest relative, but they are easily distinguished from each other by the marked difference in tail feathers.

The Drongo builds a straddled open nest at the end of a bough. The nest is rather like a hammock, sagging slightly in the middle to accommodate the three or four eggs. Drongo eggs vary in size and colour. They may be as much as 27.5 x 18.5 mm or as small as 25 x 17mm. Colour ranges from white to salmon pink, with varying markings of lilac or red brown.

The Drongos nest from October to January and usually raise two broods in the same nest.

The Drongo has a sweet, rich song, and is a wonderful mimic of other birds.

The Drongo that takes up abode on a farm is one of the farmer’s best friends. He devours innumerable insects, he drives off the birds of prey that come sailing over the farm in search of chickens. If he perches on a branch in an orchid the frmer need have no fear for his fruit. The Drongo is not a fruit-eater and his presence in the orchid means death to many of the insects that gather to feed on the fruit.

Other Names for the Fork-tailed Drongo
French: Drongo brillant
German: Trauerdrongo
Spanish: Drongo Ahorquillado
Other common names: African Drongo

For more information: African Birds
Main Image by Mister-E

Sasol Birds of Southern Africa	Newman’s Birds of Southern Africa	Collins Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa
Highly Recommended Features an advanced technique for improved field identification, and an extensive taxonomy featuring corrected misidentifications and recorded species splits that have occured since the previous edition. Uupdated names based on recommendations of the International Ornithological Committee and name hyphenations. The guide features distribution maps that feature dual shading to show relative abundance of a species in the region, as well as crosses to indicate occurances of vagrants.	Highly Recommended The eighth edition of this popular Southern African birding book has been updated to incorporate the information obtained since the previous edition relating to the birds of the region. The user-friendly design makes it ideal for use in the field, with aids such as colour-coding of major bird groups, running heads at the top of each page to indicate which family of birds is being described, large page numbers for easy reference and large accurate paintings which reflect the bird as it is seen in the field.	The Collins Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa, is an excellent book if you are visiting any of the countries in this this spectacular birding region, including Kenya and Tanzania. Review: ‘This is by far the best available guide to the birds in this region, but has one major drawback – virtually no migrants from Eurasia are illustrated.’
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Categories: African Birds, African Wildlife | Tags: African Birds, Birds, Dicrurus adsimilis, Drongo, Fork-tailed Drongo | No Comments »