Black Drongo

Description:

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.

Habitat:

Open cultivated country