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Dicrurus bracteatus
This is my very first encounter with a Spangled Drongo, and I helped it out by rescuing it from an overly-aggressive Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala). It had chased this bird into the undergrowth, and there it stayed until I chased the miner off. I managed to get fairly close, and am certain it was more frightened of the miner than it was of me. This is a very attractive bird, and is the only Drongo species to be found in Australia. It has glossy black plumage with iridescent blue-green spots (spangles), a long forked tail and blood red eyes. It also has a very sturdy beak, and my first impression was that it looked like a scaled-down version of a crow. The reference links provide plenty of info. There's a closely related species as well which is also referred to as a Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus hottentotus), but it occurs in other parts of Asia and some south-west Pacific islands.
Spotted in a native garden at the Metroplex on Gateway estate, Murarrie, Brisbane. The Metroplex wetlands are only a stone's throw from this location, and I think that's the area this species would frequent. They usually prefer wet forests, but can also be found in other woodlands, mangroves and parks. They tend to avoid more dense forest types and rainforest interiors. It's a migratory species - Individuals from the northern areas of Western Australia and the Northern Territory migrate northwards to Indonesia, while the eastern Australian birds migrate to New Guinea. Some Drongos in the south-east and central-east, however, remain in the same area or head south, occasionally turning up in Tasmania.
Here's a bit of trivia for you. "Drongo" is Australian slang for "idiot", possibly referring to the bird's uninhibited and sometimes comical behaviour as it swoops and perches in search of food. I'm aware of the slang, but had no idea this was the bird it was referring to. PS: Not the best photos, but it was twilight and I was trying to avoid using the flash. An open aperture without the flash brought out the iridescent colours, but lost some clarity in the process. A fair trade-off.
13 Comments
A really lucky find. I was so happy to see one. I think they're gorgeous birds, and the colour was quite amazing. Would love to see one in sunlight, and to watch their antics.
This "Drongo" is a good looking bird! Nice find :)
A chance spotting, Chris. It's amazing what you see when filling in the minutes to sign off from work. In less than a week, two bird species I'd never seen before just fell from the sky. What's next?
WOW .. Great Spotting.. :)
Cheers, Desmond. I'd never seen one before, and thought it was a small crow.
How awesome!
OK. Last photo - the tail.
Hey Mark, it's taken me 52 years to spot this guy. The clock is running.
You have a mission now Neil... a good shot of the tail. :)
Thanks James, KD, and Mary. I was wrapped to spot this guy, and it's only that I saw the miner chase this fellow into the bushes that I knew it was there. Grabbed my camera, and my work mates asked "what are you after now?", shaking their heads as I disappeared into the undergrowth. I have a reputation, you see :-/
Always great to get a new spotting isn't it! Thanks for sharing your great pictures and story.
Beautiful. Great photos Neil & great info.
Wonderful series Neil