Dicrurus leucophaeus
The Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus) is a sleek, medium-sized songbird renowned for its agile flight and pugnacious demeanor, belonging to the family Dicruridae. Adults measure approximately 24-30 cm in length, including their distinctive, deeply forked tail, and typically weigh between 40-60 grams. Their plumage is predominantly a uniform ashy grey, which can vary from a pale silvery-grey in some subspecies to a darker, almost slate-grey in others, complemented by darker flight feathers. A...
This adaptable species inhabits open deciduous and evergreen forests, woodland edges, plantations, gardens, and cultivated areas, ranging from sea level to over 3000 meters in montane regions.
Primarily an insectivore, consuming large insects such as moths, butterflies, beetles, termites, and grasshoppers. They also supplement their diet with nectar, small lizards, and occasionally small birds, predominantly acquired through aerial hawking and gleaning.
Ashy Drongos are diurnal and often conspicuous, perching on exposed branches or power lines, maintaining an alert posture. Their foraging strategy primarily involves aerial hawking; they sally forth from perches to catch flying insects mid-air with remarkable agility. They also glean insects from...
The Ashy Drongo is widely distributed across a vast swathe of Asia, encompassing South, Southeast, and parts of East Asia. Its breeding range extends from the sub-Himalayan regions of northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, eastward through mainland China (especially southern and central p...
Least Concern
- Ashy Drongos are often called 'King Crows' or 'Little Monarchs' in some parts of their range due to their aggressive and dominant behavior towards larger birds. - They are masterful mimics, capable of reproducing the calls of numerous other bird species, sometimes even using raptor calls to sca...