Drongo

The drongos are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics. They were previously classed as the family Dicruridae, but that has been much enlarged to include a number of largely Australasian groups, such as the Australasian fantails, monarchs and paradise flycatchers.

These insect-eating birds are found in usually open forests or bush. Most are black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright whilst perched, like a shrike. They flycatch or take prey from the ground.

Two to four eggs are laid in a nest high in a tree. These are aggressive and fearless birds, given their small size, and drongos will attack much larger species if their nest or young are threatened.

• Family: Dicruridae
  • Subfamily Monarchini: monarchs and paradise flycatchers
  • Subfamily Rhipidurini: Australasian fantails
  • Subfamily Dicrurini
    • Papuan Drongo, Chaetorhynchus papuensis
    • Square-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus ludwigii
    • Shining Drongo, Dicrurus atripennis
    • Fork-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus adsimilis
    • Aldabra Drongo, Dicrurus aldabranus
    • Comoro Drongo, Dicrurus fuscipennis
    • Crested Drongo, Dicrurus forficatus
    • Mayotte Drongo, Dicrurus waldenii
    • Black Drongo, Dicrurus macrocercus
    • Ashy Drongo, Dicrurus leucophaeus
    • White-bellied Drongo, Dicrurus caerulescens
    • Crow-billed Drongo, Dicrurus annectans
    • Bronzed Drongo, Dicrurus aeneus
    • Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus remifer
    • Hair-crested Drongo, Dicrurus hottentottus
    • Balicassiao, Dicrurus balicassius
    • Sulawesi Drongo, Dicrurus montanus
    • Sumatran Drongo, Dicrurus sumatranus
    • Wallacean Drongo, Dicrurus densus
    • Ribbon-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus megarhynchus
    • Spangled Drongo, Dicrurus bracteatus
    • Andaman Drongo, Dicrurus andamanensis
    • Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus