Drongos (Dicruridae)
Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) - HBW 14, p. 222
French: Drongo royal
German:
Spanish: Drongo Real
Other common names: (Common) King Crow, Black King Crow; South Indian Black Drongo (macrocercus); North Indian Black/Himalayan Black Drongo (albirictus); Ceylon Black Drongo (minor); Chinese Black Drongo (cathoecus)
Taxonomy: Dicrurus macrocercus Vieillot, 1817, Madras City [Chennai], Tamil Nadu, India.
Forms a superspecies with D. adsimilis and often treated as conspecific, but differs slightly in plumage and significantly in proportions and voice; close relationship between the two supported by recent DNA studies. Previously, D. fuscipennis, D. modestus, D. waldenii, D. forficatus and D. aldabranus thought to be part of same superspecies, but morphological and genetic differentiation considered too great to validate such a relationship. Race albirictus intergrades with nominate in SE Pakistan and across C India (in narrow band roughly from K.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Dicrurus macrocercus Vieillot,1817. Madras City [Chennai], Tamil Nadu, India.
Forms a superspecies with D. adsimilis and often treated as conspecific, but differs slightly in plumage and significantly in proportions and voice; close relationship between the two supported by recent DNA studies. Previously, D. fuscipennis, D. modestus, D. waldenii, D. forficatus and D. aldabranus thought to be part of same superspecies, but morphological and genetic differentiation considered too great to validate such a relationship. Race albirictus intergrades with nominate in SE Pakistan and across C India (in narrow band roughly from Kutch, in W Gujarat, E to S West Bengal) and with cathoecus in NW Myanmar; cathoecus and thai may intergrade in N Thailand. Seven subspecies recognized.
Forms a superspecies with D. adsimilis and often treated as conspecific, but differs slightly in plumage and significantly in proportions and voice; close relationship between the two supported by recent DNA studies. Previously, D. fuscipennis, D. modestus, D. waldenii, D. forficatus and D. aldabranus thought to be part of same superspecies, but morphological and genetic differentiation considered too great to validate such a relationship. Race albirictus intergrades with nominate in SE Pakistan and across C India (in narrow band roughly from Kutch, in W Gujarat, E to S West Bengal) and with cathoecus in NW Myanmar; cathoecus and thai may intergrade in N Thailand. Seven subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- albirictus ( Hodgson, 1836) - Himalayas from E Afghanistan and N & E Pakistan E to W & extreme N Myanmar and S China (SE Xizang), S to SE Pakistan (E from Indus Valley) and across C India (S to Gujarat, N Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal; non-breeding also S to S India, C & S Myanmar and N Thailand.
- macrocercus Vieillot, 1817 - SE Pakistan and peninsular India S from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.
- minor Blyth, 1850 - N & NW Sri Lanka (S, in W, to Puttalam), including Mannar I.
- albirictus ( Hodgson, 1836) - Himalayas from E Afghanistan and N & E Pakistan E to W & extreme N Myanmar and S China (SE Xizang), S to SE Pakistan (E from Indus Valley) and across C India (S to Gujarat, N Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal; non-breeding also S to S India, C & S Myanmar and N Thailand.
- macrocercus Vieillot, 1817 - SE Pakistan and peninsular India S from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.
- minor Blyth, 1850 - N & NW Sri Lanka (S, in W, to Puttalam), including Mannar I.
- cathoecus Swinhoe, 1871 - breeds C, E & S China (E from Qinghai, S from Jilin; including Hainan I), Myanmar (except W & N), N Thailand and N Indochina; non-breeding S to SW & S Myanmar, S Malay Peninsula (Singapore) and S Indochina.
- thai Kloss, 1921 - S Myanmar (Tenasserim), C & E Thailand, probably E Cambodia, and S Indochina.
- harterti Stuart Baker, 1918 - Taiwan.
- javanus Kloss, 1921 - Java and Bali.
- Least Concern
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A bird lifting on the back of a goat, waiting for flushed insects (this is a form of commensalism). Uttar Pradesh, India (ssp albirictus)
Pieter de Groot Bo... 1 February 2008 1 year ago 25 sec 4.7 -
Two birds on the back of goats, waiting for flushed prey (this is a form of commensalism). Uttar Pradesh, India (ssp albirictus)
Pieter de Groot Bo... 1 February 2008 1 year ago 21 sec 4.5 -
A bird feeding on a dragonfly and flying away Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India (ssp albirictus)
Jean Hupperetz 31 October 2004 4 years ago 25 sec 4 -
A bird preening Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India (ssp albirictus)
Jean Hupperetz 31 October 2004 4 years ago 40 sec 3.9 -
A bird eating a prey, catched at dusk Khao Yai National Park, North Eastern Thailand, Thailand (ssp thai)
Josep del Hoyo 19 November 2004 4 years ago 38 sec 3.8 -
A bird flycatching repeatedly at dusk Khao Yai National Park, North Eastern Thailand, Thailand (ssp thai)
Josep del Hoyo 19 November 2004 4 years ago 41 sec 3.8
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This bird was perched on a fence post and keeping a watch on the cattle grazing nearby to get the insects they disturb from the Mysore, Mysore District, Karnataka, India
Ragoorao 11 December 2009 8 weeks ago 3.7 -
Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) perched on a branch. Maharashtra, India
Ryan Brookes 9 March 2007 43 weeks ago 3.7 -
A bird preening. Kolkata, West Bengal, India
J.M. Garg 22 July 2005 36 weeks ago 3.5 -
A pair of drongo Pakistan
Zotyesz 23 April 2008 23 weeks ago 3.3 -
bird perched Delhi, India (ssp macrocercus)
Stefan Helming 22 May 2010 12 weeks ago 3.3 -
adult perched Moe Yin Gyi Wildlife Reserve, Bago Division, Myanmar
RobRob 1 February 2010 4 weeks ago 3.2
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Sharp calls much before dawn Kota, Kota District, Rajasthan, India
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 March 1986 20 weeks ago 5 -
Sharp response calls very early morning Kota, Kota District, Rajasthan, India
(ssp albirictus)
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 March 1988 21 weeks ago 4 -
Four types of sharp calls Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India
(ssp albirictus)
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 March 1983 26 weeks ago 4 -
Loud sharp Sweet whistly calls in early morning Rajasthan, India
(ssp albirictus)
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 March 1998 27 weeks ago 4 -
4 different varieties of its calls Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
(ssp albirictus)
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 July 2004 37 weeks ago 4 -
Typical sharp calls Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 July 2004 37 weeks ago 4
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