- Dicrurus divaricatus
Identification
23–26 cm (9-10 in)
Described as smaller than Fork-tailed Drongo with pale grey-buff inner webs of flight-feathers and a shallower tail fork.
Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa. Southwestern Mauritania south to Guinea , east to Niger and northeastern Nigeria (Lake Chad), east to Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia, south to northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northern Uganda, and northern Kenya.
Taxonomy
Formerly regarded as conspecific with Fork-tailed Drongo.
Subspecies
Two subspecies recognized[1]:
- D. a. divaricatus:
- Southwestern Mauritania south to Guinea, east to southeastern Niger and northeastern Nigeria (Lake Chad)
- D. a. lugubris:
Habitat
Savannah and forest.
Behaviour
Presumably similar to Fork-tailed Drongo
Movements
Resident.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Rocamora, G. and D. Yeatman-Berthelot (2020). Glossy-backed Drongo (Dicrurus divaricatus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.fotdro4.01
- Fuchs, J, De Swardt, DH, Oatley, G, Fjeldså, J, Bowie, RCK. (2018) Habitat‐driven diversification, hybridization and cryptic diversity in the Fork‐tailed Drongo (Passeriformes: Dicruridae: Dicrurus adsimilis). Zool Scr. 47:266– 284. https://doi.org/10.1111/zsc.12274
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2023) Glossy-backed Drongo. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 October 2023 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Glossy-backed_Drongo
