The Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus), also known as the King
Crow, is a small Asian passerine bird of the drongo family Dicruridae.
Previously, it was seen as a subspecies (Dicrurus adsimilis macrocercus)
of the African Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis), but is now
recognized as a full species. It is a common resident breeder in much of
tropical southern Asia from southwest Iran through India and Sri Lanka
east to southern China and Indonesia. It is a wholly black bird with a
distinctive forked tail and measures 28 cm (11 in) in length. Feeding on
insects, it is common in open agricultural areas and light forest
throughout its range, perching conspicuously on a bare perch or along
power or telephone lines. The species is famous for its aggressive
behaviour towards much larger birds, such as crows, never hesitating to
dive-bomb any birds of prey that invades its territory. Smaller birds
often nest in the well guarded vicinity of a nesting Black Drongo.
The Black Drongo has been introduced to some Pacific islands, where
it has thrived and become abundant to the point of threatening and
causing the extinction of native and endemic bird species there. |
