Drongo

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Drongo
Spangled Drongo
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Suborder: Passeri
Family: Dicruridae
Vigors, 1825
Genera
  • Chaetorhynchus
  • Dicrurus

The drongos are a family of small passerine birds of the Old World tropics, the Dicruridae. This family was sometimes much enlarged to include a number of largely Australasian groups, such as the Australasian fantails, monarchs and paradise flycatchers. The name is originally from the indigenous language of Madagascar, where it refers to local species, but is now used to refer to all members of the family.[1] The family is usually treated as having two genera, Chaetorhynchus and Dicrurus. The genus Chaetorhynchus contains a single species, the New Guinea endemic Pygmy Drongo. The placement of this species in the family is highly dubious due to both morphological and genetic differences, and it has recently been placed, along with the closely related Silktail of Fiji, with the fantails (Rhipiduridae).[2] The remaining genus contains the remaining 25 species of drongo.

The family Dicruridae is believed to be most likely of Indo Malayan origin, with a colonization of Africa about 15 million years ago. Dispersal across the Wallace Line into Australasia is estimated to have been more recent, around 6 mya.[3]

These insectivorous birds are usually found in open forests or bush. Most are black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails; 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. Some Drongos, especially the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, are noted for their ability to mimic other birds and even mammals.

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

The word drongo is used in Australia as a mild form of insult tantamount to the term "idiot". This term derives from a racehorse in the 1920's that did not win in 47 starts.[4]

Species of Dicruridae in taxonomic order

Dicruridae

aeneus


 
 
 

paradiseus

annectans



 
 

megarhynchus

bracteatus



 

hottentotus

balicassius

remifer



 
 
 

waldenii


 

aldabranus

forficatus




 
 
 

adsimilis

macrocercus

modestus



 

fuscipennis




 

leucophaeus




 

atripennis

ludwigii





A phylogenetic overview of the family.[3]

Genus Dicrurus

Genus Chaetorhynchus (Now placed with Rhipiduridae):

Andaman Drongo, Dicrurus andamanensis

References

  1. ↑ Lindsey, Terence (1991). Forshaw, Joseph, ed. Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds. London: Merehurst Press. pp. 223–224. ISBN 1-85391-186-0. 
  2. ↑ Irested, Martin; Fuchs J; Jønsson KA; Ohlson JI; Pasquet E & Per G.P. Ericson (2009). "The systematic affinity of the enigmatic Lamprolia victoriae (Aves: Passeriformes)—An example of avian dispersal between New Guinea and Fiji over Miocene intermittent land bridges?". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 48 (3): 1218–1222. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.05.038. PMID 18620871. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Eric Pasquet, Jean-Marc Pons, Jerome Fuchs, Corinne Cruaud, Vincent Bretagnolle (2007) Evolutionary history and biogeography of the drongos (Dicruridae), a tropical Old World clade of corvoid passerines. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45:158–167
  4. ↑ Urbandictionary.com

External links

Look up drongo in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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