The black drongo ( Dicrurus macrocercus ) is a small Asian passerine bird of the drongo family Dicruridae . 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 known for its aggressive behaviour towards much larger birds, such as crows, never hesitating to dive-bomb any birds of prey that invades its territory . This behaviour earns it the informal name of King Crow. Smaller birds often nest in the well-guarded vicinity of a nesting black drongo. Previously considered a subspecies ( Dicrurus adsimilis macrocercus ) of the African fork-tailed drongo ( Dicrurus adsimilis ), it is now recognized as a full species.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 07:01:10 +0000
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