Drongos (Dicruridae)

Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) - HBW 14, p. 216

French: Drongo pailleté German: Glanzfleckdrongo Spanish: Drongo Escamoso

Taxonomy: Dicrurus bracteatus Gould, 1843, eastern and northern coasts of Australia.
Recent DNA studies indicate close relationship with D. hottentottus, with which formerly considered conspecific; both may be part of a superspecies that includes also D. menagei, D. montanus, D. sumatranus, D. densus, D. balicassius and D. megarhynchus. Some races, e.g. buruensis and amboinensis, which differ from others structurally and apparently also vocally, may represent separate species; further studies of vocalizations and DNA analysis required. Proposed island races ultramontanus (described from Aru Is) and, off SE New Guinea, propinquus (D'Entrecastaux Archipelago) and dejectus (Louisiade Archipelago) overlap so much in measurements and pattern with mainland carbonarius that all are synonymized with latter; likewise manumeten (described from Manusela, on Seram) is subsumed in amboinensis. Eleven subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

morotensis Vaurie, 1946 - Morotai, off N Halmahera (N Moluccas).
atrocaeruleus G. R. Gray, 1861 - Halmahera, Bacan, and West Papuan Is (Kofiau I).
buruensis E. J. O. Hartert, 1919 - Buru I, in SW Moluccas.

See all 11 subspecies

morotensis Vaurie, 1946 - Morotai, off N Halmahera (N Moluccas).
atrocaeruleus G. R. Gray, 1861 - Halmahera, Bacan, and West Papuan Is (Kofiau I).
buruensis E. J. O. Hartert, 1919 - Buru I, in SW Moluccas.
amboinensis G. R. Gray, 1861 - S Moluccas (Seram, Ambon, Haruku, Saparua).
carbonarius Bonaparte, 1850 - lowland New Guinea and satellite islands (including Boigu, Dauan and Saibai, in N Torres Strait), and Aru Is.
laemostictus P. L. Sclater, 1877 - S Bismarck Archipelago (Umboi and New Britain).
meeki Rothschild & E. J. O. Hartert, 1903 - S Solomon Is (Guadalcanal).
longirostris E. P. Ramsay, 1882 - S Solomon Is (San Cristobal).
baileyi Mathews, 1912 - NW Australia (N Kimberley Division, Bathurst I, Melville I, and N Arnhem Land).
atrabectus Schodde & Mason, 1999 - NE Australia (Cape York Peninsula and NE coast of Queensland S to Burdekin R); may migrate to Torres Strait and SC New Guinea.
acteatus Gould, 1843 - coastal E Australia from Burdekin R area S in Queensland (inland to Great Divide) to NE New South Wales (rarely breeding S of 31° S); migrates to NE Australia, islands in Torres Strait and SC New Guinea.