Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus Scientific name definitions

c. 30–31 cm (nominate), 27–28·5 cm (thai), average male 27·9 cm and female 26·9 cm (harterti), c. 26 cm (minor); male 39–59 g, one female 41 g (albirictus), 40–51 g (nominate). Nominate race has white rictal spot relatively large at gape, matt black lores, forehead and forecrown; rest of head and body plumage deeply lustrous black, uniformly glossed with dull steel-blue, inner webs of primaries grey-brown, darkening at tips; lining of wings pale silvery brown; semi-translucent primaries visible in flight; long tail (158 mm) deeply forked (60 mm), outer pair of rectrices curving slightly outwards and rarely also slightly upwards (disappearing when in moult); iris blood-red to deep crimson; bill rather broad and short, upper mandible curved and slightly hooked, black; legs black to dark grey. Differs from very similar D. adsimilis in having tail longer than wing (rather than the reverse), tail fork much deeper, white spot at gape, and slightly greater amount of gloss. Sexes very similar, female on average slightly smaller than male. Juvenile has body plumage softer and browner, metallic gloss confined to upperparts, with wing and tail shorter and duller and with less gloss, underwing-coverts and undertail-coverts edged with white, rictal spot larger and conspicuous, iris reddish-brown to brownish; first-year differs from adult in being less glossy below, feathers from lower breast broadly edged with white, undertail-coverts white-tipped. Races differ mainly in size, prominence of rictal spot, and general coloration: <em>albirictus</em> is like nominate, but larger in all measurements (wing 153 mm, tail 170 mm, depth of tail fork 66 mm), with comparatively larger white rictal spot; minor is smallest race (wing 131 mm, tail 137 mm, fork 47 mm), white rictal spot not always directly perceptible (sometimes consisting of only a single feather), bill smaller and weaker; cathoecus is similar to nominate in size (slightly longer wing and bill, shorter tail less deeply forked), but differs in having wing-linings dark (instead of pale), greener gloss on wings and tail, rictal spot much smaller and concealed, and is apparently only race with dark brown eye; <em>thai</em> differs from previous in shorter wing with paler lining, shorter and somewhat less robust bill, longer and considerably more forked tail, and has rictal spot usually lacking or very small and hidden; <em>harterti</em> is similar to albirictus in long wing and bill lengths, but differs in having tail on average (148 mm) shorter than wing (152 mm), often with generally greener gloss (although some individuals bluer), rictal spot very small and hidden; javanus is bluish, rather than greenish as in neighbouring thai, differs from latter further in somewhat shorter and less deeply forked tail, rictal spots almost always lacking.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Introduced (race harterti) in S Northern Marianas (on Rota I), from where colonized Guam.

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SUBSPECIES

Dicrurus macrocercus albirictus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Himalayas from E Afghanistan and N and E Pakistan E to W and extreme N Myanmar and SE Tibet, S to SE Pakistan (E from Indus Valley) and across C India (S to Gujarat, N Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal); formerly SE Iran; non-breeding also S to S India, C and S Myanmar and N Thailand.

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SUBSPECIES

Dicrurus macrocercus macrocercus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

SE Pakistan and peninsular India S from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

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SUBSPECIES

Dicrurus macrocercus minor Scientific name definitions

Distribution

N and NW Sri Lanka (S, in W, to Puttalam), including Mannar I.

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SUBSPECIES

Dicrurus macrocercus cathoecus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

C, E and S China (E from Qinghai, S from Jilin; including Hainan), Myanmar (except W and N), N Thailand and N Indochina; non-breeding S to SW and S Myanmar, S Malay Peninsula (Singapore) and S Indochina.

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SUBSPECIES

Dicrurus macrocercus thai Scientific name definitions

Distribution

S Myanmar (Tenasserim), C and E Thailand, probably E Cambodia, and S Indochina.

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SUBSPECIES

Dicrurus macrocercus harterti Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Taiwan.

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SUBSPECIES

Dicrurus macrocercus javanus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Java and Bali.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Mostly open country and farmland with scattered trees; very common also in villages and suburbs, parks and gardens, perching on telephone wires and poles, and on roadside trees. Race albirictus common and widespread in plains and openly wooded hills, e.g. with oak (Quercus) and rhododendron (Rhododendron), but not quite so exclusively an open-country bird as nominate, nesting occasionally in thin forest or well-wooded country at considerable distance from human settlements; to 2600 m in Pakistan, and to 1500 m (occasionally to 2000 m in summer) in Nepal. In Sri Lanka, common in coastal belt in open land, tobacco and pasture fields, bushy plains. In China, common in plains, where frequently seen on roadside poles, and reported particularly on willows (Salix) along bank of pools; to 1600 m in summer in Yunnan. Plains and hills in open country in Myanmar. In Malay Peninsula an entirely non-forest drongo, passage migrants and non-breeding visitors favouring rice fields, particularly at late-crop and post-harvest stages, also market gardens, open grassland and grass-swamp with grazing water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). In Java and Bali, and Sumatra (where rare), occurs in open spaces and agricultural land, where it follows domestic livestock.

N populations migratory or partly migratory. Those in NW of range (race albirictus) winter at lower altitudes and latitudes, S to E Afghanistan and S Pakistan, C India, C & S Myanmar, N Thailand; rarely recorded in United Arab Emirates, and vagrant in Oman and Kuwait; in most of Pakistan except Baluchistan, albirictus is mainly a summer breeding visitor, arriving in Mar and departing in Oct. In China, cathoecus is principally a summer visitor, breeding birds present May–Sept in Henan; in Hong Kong main arrival about mid Apr and most have left by late Oct, spring passage in loose groups of 10–20 individuals, larger groups up to 150 on autumn passage; migrates through SE China to SE Asia; resident in Hainan and partly in Yunnan E to Guangdong and Fujian. In Myanmar, majority breed in C & N late Mar/early Apr–Oct, migrating to S, where few are sedentary; seems to be less migratory in S Irrawaddy valley (where breeds in May and Jun). Race cathoecus also a passage migrant and winter visitor to whole Thailand and to Malay Peninsula, where observed near coast, usually in lowland (but recorded to 800 m); migration counts of this species in autumn 2003 at freshwater marsh in S Thailand totalled c. 11,300, with daily peak at 08:00–10:00 hours and a smaller peak in late afternoon, rarely after 18:00 hours (in contrast to D. annectens, frequently netted at night), with no significant differences related to wind direction but with heavy peak (highest single hourly count 618 birds) following two days of heavy rain throughout Thailand; passage in singles early in season, then small flocks of 5–20 individuals, sometimes across 30-m front. Regular migrant in Japan and Korea; vagrant in Mongolia (Gobi), SE Russia and the Philippines (2 Jensen, A. E., T. H. Fisher, and R. O. Hutchinson (2015). Notable new bird records from the Philippines. Forktail 31:24–36. Close ). Vagrants from E Asia recorded Apr–Jun in Sumatra; regular but rare in lowland forest, mangrove, peatswamp, alluvial forest and dipterocarp forest up to 500 m in NW Borneo. In Sri Lanka, wintering birds occurring in S part of dry zone possibly migrants from India.

Food predominantly insects (often agricultural pests), including locusts, grasshoppers and crickets (Orthoptera), beetles (Coleoptera), bugs (Hemiptera), termites (Isoptera), ants and bees (Hymenoptera), even ferocious rock bees (Apis dorsata), also moths, butterflies and larvae (Lepidopera), damselflies (Zygoptera); occasionally, mainly on Indian Subcontinent, diet reported as much more varied, including lizards, small bats, and nestlings and small birds such as flycatchers (Muscicapa), prinias (Prinia), white-eyes (Zosterops), ioras (Aegithina), swallows (Hirundinidae); cattle ticks (Ixodoidea), considered an important food resource in Sri Lanka. Reported as feeding on dead fish floating on muddy water, frequently flying to perch on nearby tree, carrying a fish c. 10 cm long in bill. Also seeks nectar (from Bombax ceiba, B. insigne, Butea monosperma, Erythrina), during which forehead and throat feathers become covered with pollen (thus helps in cross-fertilization of plants). In Gujarat (India) one individual reported as feeding on sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) grains; took 30 grains in ten minutes by pecking repeatedly under its feet while perched on top of the ear. Regularly reported as pirating worms (Annelida) or other prey from Eurasian Hoopoes (Upupa epops), mynas or wagtails (Motacilla). Spends middle of day calmly on shady trees. Forages mainly in morning and evening hours, hunting insects attracted by electric lights as late as 2–4 hours after sunset. Perches on wires, fence posts, posts, bare treetops, earth banks or other vantage, sallying to catch prey on the wing, to seize it among herbage, or to snatch termites and other insects emerging from ground. During human activity in rice fields, perches close by on elevated posts and pounces on insects disturbed or exposed by the plough; feeds also on ground, swooping down on prey and either eating it immediately or carrying it in bill to perch. Tears larger items to pieces before swallowing them; removes wings of damselflies and other large-winged insects before consumption. Usually solitary, but will gather in numbers to feed on swarming winged termites or emerging mosquitoes (Culicidae); attracted to forest fires and areas of burning grass, where it captures escaping insects, even amid thick rising smoke. Also joins parties of Yellow-billed Babbler (Turdoides affinis) or Jungle Babbler (Turdoides striata), hawking insects flushed by the babblers, the latter (not competing for food, as near-ground foragers) benefit­ing from protection afforded by drongo against predators; same behaviour and benefit observed in associations with ground-feeding flocks of Jungle Myna (Acridotheres fuscus) and/or Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis). Foraging trips of present species considerably more successful when with medium-sized and large myna flocks. Associates also with mammals, mainly cattle , water buffalo or goats, catching insects disturbed by them; often uses back of cattle as mobile perch. Outside breeding season, roosts in trees or bamboo groves, dispersing at dawn to feeding areas; hardly enters closed tree cover during daytime, often foraging far from any trees.

Powerful and harsh vocalizations. Particularly noisy at start of breeding season, mainly during two hours preceding daybreak; partners frequently engage in duet of raucous 2-note calls while displaying. Songs include vehement and jarring strophes of syncopated, jangling and creaky squawks, mostly on even pitch, first often shorter and harsher, last also shorter and a few more nasal; also pleasant warbling with melodious phrases and few churrs in Orissa (E India), "tit-ti-tu-wut" in Rajasthan (W India), and combination of musical whistles and harsh sounds in Nepal (race albirictus). Song in Sri Lanka (minor) more melodious than those of congeners. Varied calls, including spaced, short, harsh, single monotonous or rising notes; also harsh double-noted "ti-tiu" like that of Shikra (Accipiter badius), "cheece-cheece-chichuk" call, raucous scraping or metallic sounds, also beautiful clear whistles; in Thailand, race cathoecus gives diverse churrs and soft nasal chatters. Accom­p­lished mimic, especially when excited by predator such as cat or snake, imitates alarm notes of other birds.

Season Mar–Jun in Pakistan, Mar–Aug (principally mid-Apr to end Jun, sometimes second brood Jul–Aug) in India, and Mar–May in Sri Lanka; Apr–Aug in China, but mainly Apr in Taiwan and May–Jun in Hong Kong; Apr–Aug in SE Asia, most eggs laid in Apr–May in Myanmar, Apr–Dec in Java and Bali. Cases of helpers at nest reported in India, e.g. three fledglings accepting food from parents and two additional conspecifics; also, a Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) partaking in the feeding of three chicks in and, later, outside nest, even almost simultaneously with parents. Solitary nester, territorial; drives crows (Corvidae) and raptors out of territory, pursuing them for 200–300 m through air, and even landing briefly on back of flying Short-toed Snake-eagle (Circaetus gallicus) in India or Black Kite (Milvus migrans) of race lineatus in Hong Kong. Partners display by facing each other, 10–20 cm apart on perch, and indulging in rapid head-bobbing while duetting; also trios and quartet noticed in SW India (Kerala). Nest built by both sexes, taking 5–8 days (average 6 days), a flimsy-bottomed broad shallow cup, sides rather firm and thick, internally 10 cm in diameter and 4 cm in depth, made from tiny twigs, rootlets, fine grass stems and other vegetable fibres, e.g. roots of khus-khus grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) in India, fibres from fronds of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) or twigs of gooseberry tree (Phyllanthus emblica), tightly woven together and plastered with cobweb, frequently lined with horsehair or fine grass, the outside often including pieces of lichen, moss, bark, spider egg sacs and the like; most often 4–7 m above ground, but up to 13 m and down to 2–3 m (even close to ground in Java or Bali), in horizontal fork at extremity of tree branch, also reported as laying on horizontal support, generally fork of strong twigs in tree, sometimes in upright fork of lower branches, or even on man-made structure (e.g. between horizontal and vertical sections of electricity pole in Andhra Pradesh, in India); nest tree often mango (Mangifera indica), but also Lagerstroemia parviflora, jackfruit (Artocarpus integrifolia), cashew (Anacardium occidentale), tamarind (Tamarindus), oak and many others, such as sheesham (Dalbergia sissoo), acacia e.g. babool (Acacia nilotica) or kandi (Prosopsis spicigera), in Taiwan also on waving branch of bamboo; chosen tree usually solitary and standing in the open, with unobstructed view of surroundings; in SW India (Calicut), nests 2·5–13 m up, on tree 5–30 m tall and usually 18–40 m from any other nesting tree, territory size 0·3–1·2 ha. Clutch 2–5 eggs, usually 3–4 in India (but 3–5 in Kerala), 2–3 (rarely, four) in Sri Lanka, 3–4 and rarely five in E of range (race cathoecus), 2–3 in S (javanus); extremely variable, from pure white or white with sparse dark brown speckles (mostly in N) to warm pink-salmon with reddish-brown, purple-brown and burnt sienna blotches, chiefly at large end, over underlying purple markings (more in S), and all kinds of intermediates, average size 27·1 × 19·8 mm (albirictus), 24–27 × 18·5–20·5 mm (nominate), 24·2 × 18·1 mm (minor), 26·5 × 19·5 mm (cathoectus); up to two replacements laid if clutches lost in early stage of incubation (no re-laying if lost at advanced stage of incubation); incubation by both sexes, in some cases male taking prominent part, period mainly 14–16 days; eggs hatch asynchronously over 24–28 hours; chicks fed by both parents, nestling period mostly 16–17 days, sometimes to 20 days; fledglings dependent on parents for c. 30 days. Nests parasitized by Indian Cuckoo (Cuculus micropterus) in India and SE China, and by Western Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) in India; also, in India and in C & S China, by Square-tailed Drongo-cuckoo (Surniculus lugubris), so closely similar in shape and colour that it is often mistaken for present species. Breeding success linked to availability of insects, and hence to date of first monsoon showers, which are followed by sprouting of grasses and flush of insects. Both sexes apparently breed for first time when c. 2 years old.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Common throughout range in Indian Subcontinent; race albirictus formerly occurred also in SE Iran. Common resident and migrant in mainland SE Asia, including E China; especially common in Hong Kong during spring and autumn passages. Migration through and in Thailand has declined in recent years; in 1920s species considered "extremely abundant" migrant in Sept, occurring in "huge noisy parties", but far fewer seen now. Resident race javanus widespread in Java and Bali, but now seen less often than was previously the case. Two other island races, in Taiwan (harterti) and Sri Lanka (minor), have restricted ranges but are very common and widespread in farmland and open plains; both islands, already affected by large-scale destruction of natural forest, are still subject to deforestation through firewood-gathering, clearance for permanent agriculture, shifting cultivation, tree plantations, and rapid urbanization of rural lands; most of the protected areas in Sri Lanka within the dry zone benefit the local drongo. This species, which attends ploughing operations along with several others, such as Common and Bank Mynas (Acridotheres ginginianus), House Crow (Corvus splendens) and Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), may be considered an efficient agent in control of white grub (Holotrichia) in commercial crops, being economically cheaper and environmentally safer than chemicals. On the other hand, following introduction of this species in 1935 in Northern Mariana Is (to control destructive insects), it has become a serious threat to the native forest avifauna of the islands, as it preys on endemic species, notably the Critically Endangered Rota White-eye (Zosterops rotensis).