Drongo - Dicrurini
 

Drongos are a birds with quite a few distinctive features. Most notably are the Racquet-tailed species with the long streamers extending out from their fairly long tail. Those without streamers have the tail -forked. Next, these are birds with loud calls and in metallic tone. When they are around, you just cannot miss their presence, the loud calls in unique tones are repeated in close frequencies. Lastly, another general feature of these birds, is their glossy dark blue colored feathers.

Drongos are insect-eating birds. Some are found in the deep forest but most of them found at forest edge with human traffic. Their legs are short and when perched maintains an upright position. whilst perched. They too remain in the same perch for long time, behaving like Shrikes. Most of the time their prey are in trees away from the ground. But I have posted one picture to show that they do hunt on the ground.

I have seen the Greater-racquet-tailed Drongo as an aggressive bird, individually or in group driving away larger bird like the House Crow. the same bird having a large repertoire also mimics calls.

There are 24 species of Drongos found in the world, of which there are 8 species in South-east Asia..

Narrowing down the field, the 7 Drongos found in Malaysia are:-

PASSERIFORMES: Dicruridae
 
Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus
Crow-billed Drongo Dicrurus annectans
Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus remifer
Hair-crested Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus

Ashy Drongo 1[Dicrurus leucophaeus nigrescens]

This is the darkest version of the few species of Ashy Drongos. The bird has very close resemblances with the Black Drongo. It may be difficult under varying lights to ascertain that comparison between the 2 birds. So was the longer bill of the Ashy Drongo.

Then there is a need to distinguish this species with other species of Ashy Drongos. Most significant the perhaps is the lower part- lighter when compared with the Black Drongo but darker than those on the other species of Ashy Drongos.

In fact, we are lucky in Malaysia as the Black Drongo is not common, it is easy to assume the fork on the tail is "not that deep" to quickly ID the bird as Ashy Drongo. But those familiar with Drongo in general would notice that this Ashy Drongo is not that dark when compared with the all black Drongo.

Additional information, this bird was seen breeding the mangrove forest of Kuala Selangor Nature Park.

Ashy Drongo nesting

Much closer to Black Drongo

glossy colours

Swallower fork tail
Ashy Drongo # 1 Ashy Drongo # 2
Ashy Drongo # 3 Ashy Drongo # 7
Ashy Drongo # 8 Ashy Drongo # 9 Ashy Drongo # 10 Ashy Drongo # 11
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Ashy Drongo # 16 Ashy Drongo # 17 Nesting parents
 

Ashy Drongo 2 [Dicrurus leucophaeus mouhoti]

This species which is identical in size as the Black Drongo has much similarities as well.

This is a much easier to ID Ashy Drongo. The colour of the bird both on its upper part and that lighter lower part making the bird having a plumage that bears a feature that closest to its given name.

For example, watch for shining blue & grey of the wings. The under part itself is lighter in shade while the lores are darker.  The best way is perhaps the bird itself - good variations in shades under all lightings and away from that nearly all dark plumage of the first species.

 
Ashy Drongo   # 1 Dark steely grey   # 2 Slight bluish gloss   # 3 Ashy Drongo  # 4
Ashy Drongo   #  5 Ashy Drongo   #  6 Lighter under part   #  7 Ashy Drongo   #  8
Ashy Drongo   #  9 Ashy Drongo   #  10
Ashy Drongo   #  12 Ashy Drongo   #  13
Ashy Drongo   # 14 Ashy Drongo   # 15 Ashy Drongo   # 16 Ashy Drongo  # 17
Ashy Drongo   #  18 Ashy Drongo   #  19 Ashy Drongo   # 20 Ashy Drongo   #  21
Ashy Drongo   #  22 Ashy Drongo   #  23

Ashy Drongo 3 [Dicrurus leucophaeus leucogenis]

This is a Ashy Drongo with very pale grey plumage, the forehead with a much darker shade of grey. The distinctive marking is the white lores to the ear covert, a lighter shaded vent and the dark shades along the edge to the flight feathers.

The color on this bird and the white patch at its eyes makes the bird very distinctive and easy to ID instantly. The more rounded body shape that also influences that appearance of the tail to appear slimmer leads this species away from the conventional longish shape of Ashy Drongos. In fact looking at this bird itself needs no further elaboration for a positive ID

While Robson mentioned that this is a bird seen most often in region of Central Thailand from Burma to Cambodia. No mention about the terrain these birds lives. The pictures here were taken in Mount Kinabalu, a mountain climate.

 
Ashy Drongo Type 3# 1 Ashy Drongo Type 3# 2 Ashy Drongo Type 3# 3 Ashy Drongo Type 3# 4
Ashy Drongo Type 3# 5 Ashy Drongo Type 3# 6 Ashy DrongoType 3 # 7 Ashy Drongo Type 3# 8
Ashy Drongo Type 3# 9 Ashy Drongo Type 3# 10
Ashy Drongo Type 3# 11 Ashy Drongo Type 3# 12
Ashy DrongoType 3 # 13 Ashy Drongo Type 3# 14 Ashy DrongoType 3 # 15 Ashy DrongoType 3 # 16
Ashy Drongo Type 3# 17 Ashy Drongo Type 3# 18 Ashy Drongo Type 3# 19 Ashy Drongo Type 3# 20
Ashy Drongo Type 3# 21 Ashy Drongo Type 3# 22 Ashy Drongo Type 3# 23 Ashy DrongoType 3 # 24

Ashy Drongo 4 [Dicrurus leucophaeus salangensis]

This next and 4th species of Ashy Drongo is a between the very light grey 3rd species Dicrurus leucophaeus leucogenis and the darker "normal" Ashy Drongo. The bird has more the slimmest of usual body shape of a Ashy Drongo while the color of the bird is closer to that of the 3rd species. So with the very pale grey plumage, but in a shade darker. It is rather impossible to describe how much lighter or darker, therefore this series of pictures taken under a couple of lighting conditions would enable the viewer to make their own assessment. Honestly, I myself is perplexed as to the weighting used in the term "lighter/darker"

Major diagnostic marking is absence of the white at the eyes. This bird has mostly grey coverts. The bird is wintering in the region of Thailand, east to Cambodia and south to Peninsula. For us in Malaysia, best chance to see this bird would be the very northern states.
Ashy Drongo   Type4# 1 Ashy Drongo  Type4 # 2 Ashy Drongo  Type4 # 3 Ashy Drongo  Type4# 4
Ashy Drongo   Type4#  5 Ashy Drongo  Type4 #  6 Ashy Drongo  Type4 #  7 Ashy Drongo   Type4#  8
Ashy Drongo   Type4#  9 Ashy Drongo  Type4 #  10
Ashy Drongo   Type4#  11 Ashy Drongo   Type4#  12
Ashy Drongo   Type4# 13 Ashy Drongo   Type4# 14 Ashy Drongo   Type4# 15 Ashy Drongo Type4 # 16
Ashy Drongo   Type4#  18 Ashy Drongo  Type4 #  19 Ashy Drongo  Type4 # 20
Ashy Drongo   Type4#  21 Ashy Drongo  Type4 #  22 Ashy Drongo  Type4 # 23

 

Black Drongo [Dicrurus macrocerus]

The Black Drongo that we met up with is the sub-species of Dicrurus macrocerus thai. About 27 cm it is a large forest bird but also the smallest Black Drongo in South East Asia, the other 2 sub-species are marginally larger.

Distinctive feature of this bird is the deeply forked tail and of course its all black plumage. Having separate set of pictures on the same page, making the differences between the Black Drongo and that of Ashy Drongo leaves no ambiguity.

In Malaysia, the Black Drongo is not sighted often. There could be some migration but so far no visible pattern.

Black  Drongo # 1

Black  Drongo # 2

Black  Drongo # 3

juvenile # 4

Black  Drongo # 5

Black  Drongo # 6

Black  Drongo # 7

Black  Drongo # 8

Black  Drongo # 9

Black  Drongo # 10

Black  Drongo # 11

Black  Drongo # 12

Black  Drongo # 13

Subtle white dot base of bill # 14

Black  Drongo # 15

Black  Drongo # 16

Black  Drongo # 17

Black  Drongo # 18

Black  Drongo # 19

Black  Drongo # 20

Black  Drongo # 21

Black  Drongo # 22

Black  Drongo # 23

Bronze Drongo [Dicrurus aeneus]

Within the family of Drongos, the Bronze Drongo is a small bird at 22 cm. This is a easy bird to ID as it has prominent dark blue-greenish blue plumage. Upon reflection seen vividly are the upper part, the breast and throat. This is one bird that prefers the cool climate of the sub-montane forest. Most detectable in Frasers Hills and certain times of the year along the Old Pump House Road. The bird makes no pretense of concealing its whereabouts. Normally on bare branches or tip of stumps some distance away. It could also descend down to the lower storey, perched on an exposed point.

Next, the presence of this bird is easy to detect as it makes continuous  calls. A couple of versions fairly melodic.

Also detected is the fact that there are family feud among the birds. such quarrelsome display echoed through the valley where they are and could last hours.

In the collection of pictures below taken by different cameras under odd conditions, the shades varies substantially but under all condition, the glossy elements surfaced.

 

Bronze Drongo # 1

Bronze Drongo # 2

Bronze Drongo # 3
Bronze Drongo # 4 Bronze Drongo # 5 Bronze Drongo # 6 Bronze Drongo # 7
Bronze Drongo # 8 Bronze Drongo # 9 Bronze Drongo # 10 Bronze Drongo # 11
Bronze Drongo # 12 Bronze Drongo # 13  
Bronze Drongo # 14 Bronze Drongo # 15 Bronze Drongo # 16 Bronze Drongo # 17
Bronze Drongo # 18 Bronze Drongo # 19 Bronze Drongo # 20 Bronze Drongo # 21
Bronze Drongo # 22 Bronze Drongo # 23 Bronze Drongo # 24 Bronze Drongo # 25

Crow-billed Drongo [Dicrurus annectans]

The Crow-billed Drongo as its name implied is fairly large bird at close to 30 cm is the size of a young crow. If not for its size, this dark colored Drongo could be mistaken as a Black Drongo. The obvious part of its body would be the relatively shorter tail, broader than normal with a shallow fork. The tip of the fork clearly curled outwards.

The feathers other than that of the head like many other Drongo have that glossy greenish-blue tinge as well.

This is a hard bird to meet up with as the bird is recorded as passing through Peninsula. I have to be patience and wait for my collection to be built gradually. Its preference in habitats are plantations, open areas, forest edge and more often seen in coastal areas. The pictures on this page were taken in heavily forested Perdik and Coastal Malacca.

Crow-billed  Drongo # 1

Crow-billed  Drongo # 2

Crow-billed Drongo26

Crow-billed Drongo Drongo # 3

Crow-billed Drongo Drongo # 4

Crow-billed DrongoDrongo # 5

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo [Dicrurus paradiseus]

This is one bird that requires little introduction. The long streamers behind its tail feathers is the hall mark. Those in the lowlands up to sub-montane climate, the Greater. In the cool sub-montane the Lesser Racket-tailed dominates the scene. Both birds could be spotted over a wide area of a single vicinity, for example Frasers Hills. There are coolers spots and other less cool patches. Both of them hardly mixed or seen, or stray into each other domain. location.

Then the typical diagnostic marks of this bird are the glossy deep blue on the feathers plus a pair twisted pendants after a long bare shaft. The metallic sounding calls over a large repertoire. This bird display frequent attempts to mimic calls. As there were a few pairs of these Drongo in the Kiara Hills, during my morning walk, I have done vocal exchanges with the birds.

There are at least 3 sub-species of this bird that can be spotted in Malaysia. Two of them seen regularly has body size of around 30 cm and another extension of 30 cm for the streamers. I have not separated the pictures for these 2 sub species. I intend to make separate sections when the pictures are adequate. The last and third is smaller sub-species spotted only in Pulau Tioman.

 

Greater racquet-tailed Drongo w/o streamers #1
Greater racquet-tailed Drongo #2 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo #3 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 4 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 5
Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 6 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 7 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 8 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 9
Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 10 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 11 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 12 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 13
Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 14 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 15 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 16 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 17
Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 18 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 19 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 20 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 21
Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 22 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 23 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 24 Greater racquet-tailed Drongo # 25

Lesser racket-tailed Drongo [Dicrurus remifer]

This is a smaller Drongo at 26cm but it has a tail shaft with streamers up to 40 cm. The shape of the bird is more distinctive than that of the Greater racket-tailed. The short tufted feather on its forehead stretching over the bill gives the forehead that flat-headed look.

The gloss on the feather is even stronger than all other Drongos. The streamers on the tail develop first to be slowly extended outwards when the bare shaft form. At certain stage, the bird with its natural short tail plus the pendants  gives the impression that it is another Drongo with very long tail. These pendants break off often, in the pictures below, there are birds with square shape tail and no pendant. These could be juveniles or adults with the pendants dropped. The colors on the juvenile dull when compared to that of the adults.

The bird has a good repertoire of melodic calls, though it does mimic but I have not much opportunity hearing it happen..

 

Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 9
Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 1 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 2 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 3 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 4
Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 5 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 6 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 7 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 8
Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 10 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 11 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 12 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 13
Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 14 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 15 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 16 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 17
Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 18 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 19 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 20 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 21
Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 22 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 23 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 24 Lesser racquet-tailed Drongo # 25

 

The group of birds listed in the family of Drongo are interesting. Their shinning dark colors and loud calls in metallic sounds. Beside that, these are large birds, easy to spot and not easily frightened off. many a times, I have seen Drongo, which is the largest bird in the pack led in bird waves.

There would move about is am ostentatious manner attracting attention while keeping a watchful eyes on the human near-by. Whatever their actions were or intentions, their presence certainly did made me very thankful to have brought along the activities which I had waited for hours.
 

 Drongo's page of  2012

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