Black Drongo
Dicrurus macrocercus
About This Species
A glossy black bird with a deeply forked tail, commonly seen perched on wires, fence posts or bare branches in open country and farmland, from where it sallies out to catch flying insects. It is active through the daylight hours and is notably bold, often mobbing much larger birds such as crows or raptors that stray near its territory. Open agricultural land and roadside wires in the morning are reliable places to watch its aerial hunting and aggressive territorial displays.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- This species is generally tolerant of people and vehicles, but observers should still avoid lingering directly beneath an active nest, since it can become aggressive toward intruders including humans when defending young.
- Wild birds and nests are typically protected under general wildlife statutes in its range, so nests should not be disturbed or handled.
- A respectful distance from perches near a nest site is usually enough to observe its hunting behaviour without provoking a defensive response.
LCAvesPasseriformesDicruridae
Seasonal Activity
1,442,050 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Dicruridae
Photo
(c) Yifei He 何一非, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Yifei He 何一非
CC-BY-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.