Drongos (Dicruridae)
Velvet-mantled Drongo (Dicrurus modestus) - HBW 14, p. 223
French: Drongo modeste
German: Samtdrongo
Spanish: Drongo Modesto
Other common names: Forest Drongo; Principe Drongo (modestus)
Taxonomy: Dicrurus modestus Hartlaub, 1849, Príncipe, Gulf of Guinea.
Sometimes treated as conspecific with D. adsimilis, but recent DNA analysis supports recognition of two distinct species; both were previously thought to be part of a superspecies with D. fuscipennis, D. macrocercus, D. waldenii, D. forficatus and D. aldabranus, but morphological and genetic differentiation too great to support such a relationship. Additional studies needed to clarify taxonomic position of races coracinus and atactus, which intergrade fully in SW Nigeria (Ondo and Benin provinces) and Cameroon; coracinus and race .. View all taxonomy...
Sometimes treated as conspecific with D. adsimilis, but recent DNA analysis supports recognition of two distinct species; both were previously thought to be part of a superspecies with D. fuscipennis, D. macrocercus, D. waldenii, D. forficatus and D. aldabranus, but morphological and genetic differentiation too great to support such a relationship. Additional studies needed to clarify taxonomic position of races coracinus and atactus, which intergrade fully in SW Nigeria (Ondo and Benin provinces) and Cameroon; coracinus and race divaricatus of D. adsimilis behave more or less as distinct species, differing in behaviour, voice and plumage, with limited hybridization in areas of range overlap (apparent hybrids reported in Nigeria, DRCongo and Angola); atactus initially described as a possible hybrid between those two taxa. Proposed race ugandensis regarded as a synonym of coracinus. Three subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- atactus Oberholser, 1899 - Sierra Leone, S Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, SW Ghana (S from Kintampo and Tafo), S Togo, S Benin and SW Nigeria; possibly W Cameroon, possibly also N Angola, possibly also E DRCongo.
- coracinus J. Verreaux & É. Verreaux, 1851 - S Nigeria, Bioko I (Fernando Póo), S Cameroon and SW Central African Republic (Lobaye) E to extreme SW Sudan (Bengegai), W & S Uganda and W Kenya (Kakamega), S to Gabon, PRCongo, NW Angola and C DRCongo (S to Kasai and Maniema).
- modestus Hartlaub, 1849 - Príncipe I, in Gulf of Guinea.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A couple in the canopy 1 Locality Kakum National Park, Central Region, Ghana
Juan Sanabria 1 November 2009 2 years ago 35 sec 3 -
A silhouette of a bird flying and returning to its perch. Locality Mabira Forest, Uganda (ssp coracinus)
Josep del Hoyo 15 September 2006 4 years ago 33 sec 2.7 -
A couple in the canopy 2 Locality Kakum National Park, Central Region, Ghana
Juan Sanabria 1 November 2009 2 years ago 19 sec 2.7
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A bird perched on the end of a branch
Locality Kakum National Park, Central Region, Ghana (ssp atactus)
Ian Fulton 3 March 2009 2 years ago 3
- No sound recordings available yet
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