- Dicrurus annectens
Identification
27 - 29cm. Recalls the much commoner Black Drongo
- Black plumage without very much gloss
- Thick bill
- Triangular flared and notched tail (rather than forked)
- Blood-red eye
Sexes similar, females are slightly smaller.
Juveniles are dark brown and have a paler belly.
Photo © by the late Dr Manjeet Singh
Pandamaran-jaya, Port Klang,Selangor, Malaysia, October 2007
Similar species
Told from Bronzed Drongo and Ashy Drongo by more robust build, heavier bill and broader tail with widely spaced tips. Differs from Black Drongo in the very different tail shape and deeper bill.
Distribution
Breeds patchily in the Himalayas (from Uttarakhand in India east over Nepal and Bhutan), in Burma, south China (Yunnan, Guangxi and Hainan), northern Thailand and northern Indochina.
Winters in northeast India, Bangladesh, probably southern China and in southeast Asia south to Sumatra and Java. Vagrants in Borneo and on the Philippines recorded.
Uncommon and local. Populations may decline due to deforestation.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
The scientific name is also spelled annectans.
Recent DNA-studies suggest a close relationship with Greater Racket-tailed Drongo.
Habitat
Found in dense evergreen forests or moist deciduous forest for breeding, occasionally in more or less open country. Iccurs from sea-level up to 1450m.
Behaviour
A migrant species, passaging south from September to November and returning north from early March to May. Resident on Hainan.
Diet
Feeds on insects which are hawked from open perches in typical drongo fashion.
Usually seen singly or in pairs.
Breeding
Breeding season from April to June. The nest is a small, shallow cup made of grasses, rootlets and fibres. It's placed 7 - 12m above the ground in a tree. Lays 3 - 4 eggs.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
- Rasmussen, PC and JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334672
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Crow-billed Drongo. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 20 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Crow-billed_Drongo
