Hindi Name – Jungle Kotwal
Species – Dicrurus macrocercus
Origin – Tropical southern Asia
Size – 28 cms
Breeding season – February and March in southern India, and until August in other parts of the country. Males and females sing in the mornings during the breeding season. Courtship can include aerobatic chases.
Family – The black drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) is a small Asian bird of the family Dicruridae.
Description – It is glossy black with a wide fork to the tail. Adults usually have a small white spot at the base of the gape. The iris is dark brown. They are aggressive and fearless birds and they will attack much larger species that enter their nesting territory, including crows and birds of prey. This behaviour led to their former name of king crow. They fly with strong flaps of the wing and are capable of fast manoeuvres that enable them to capture flying insects. With short legs, they sit upright on thorny bushes, bare perches or electricity wires. They may also perch on grazing animals.
Breeding Season – Black drongos breed mainly in February and March in southern India, and until August in other parts of the country.
Diet – They feed mainly on insects such as grasshoppers, cicadas, termites, wasps, bees, ants, moths, beetles and dragonflies.
Habitat – The black drongo is found predominantly in open country and usually perches and hunts close to the ground.
Distinct Features – They are capable of producing a wide range of calls but a common call is a two note tee-hee call resembling that of the shikra. They fly with strong flaps of the wing and are capable of fast manoeuvres that enable them to capture flying insects.