Dicrurus annectens
The Crow-billed Drongo, *Dicrurus annectens*, is a striking medium-sized passerine, typically measuring 27-33 cm in length and weighing between 60-80 grams. Its plumage is entirely glossy black, often with a subtle blue or purplish sheen visible in good light, particularly on the head and back. A key identifying feature is its robust, heavily-hooked bill, which is noticeably larger and deeper than those of many other drongos, giving it its common name. The tail is long and deeply forked, a ch...
Primarily found in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, often near clearings, rivers, or forest edges, and in secondary growth. It typically inhabits lowlands and foothills, generally up to 1,500 meters in elevation.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide array of large insects such as moths, butterflies, beetles, and cicadas, which it typically catches in mid-air. It occasionally gleans insects from vegetation or takes small vertebrates.
The Crow-billed Drongo is a diurnal and highly active bird, often seen perching conspicuously on exposed branches or power lines, especially in the mornings and late afternoons. It forages primarily by aerial hawking, making swift sallies from its perch to catch insects in flight, but also gleans...
The Crow-billed Drongo has a broad distribution across South and Southeast Asia. Its breeding range extends from the lower Himalayas in Nepal, northeastern India, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, eastwards through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Southward, it is found throughout the Malay ...
Least Concern
- The Crow-billed Drongo is known for its remarkable vocal mimicry, often imitating the calls of other birds in its forest habitat. - Despite its relatively small size, it is a highly aggressive bird, frequently mobbing much larger raptors and even primates to defend its territory. - Its common n...