Surniculus dicruroides
The Fork-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo (*Surniculus dicruroides*) is a captivating member of the cuckoo family, renowned for its remarkable mimicry of drongo species, particularly the Black Drongo. This slender cuckoo measures approximately 23-25 cm in length and weighs about 30-40 grams, presenting a sleek, glossy black plumage across its entire body, often with a subtle blue or purplish sheen. Its most distinctive field mark, aside from its overall drongo-like silhouette and deeply forked tail, is a...
Primarily inhabits open deciduous and evergreen forests, forest edges, scrublands, plantations, and dense woodlands, typically found from lowlands up to elevations of 2,000 meters in the Himalayas.
Feeds predominantly on insects, including caterpillars, beetles, ants, and other arthropods, which it obtains by gleaning from vegetation or catching in mid-air.
The Fork-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo is largely solitary and diurnal, often observed perched conspicuously on bare branches at forest edges, scanning for prey. Its foraging strategy involves active gleaning of insects from foliage and occasional aerial sallies to catch flying prey, mimicking the agile h...
The Fork-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo (*Surniculus dicruroides* sensu stricto) is widely distributed across the Indian subcontinent and parts of mainland Southeast Asia. Its breeding range spans from the Himalayan foothills of northern Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and northeastern India, eastward through Ban...
Least Concern
- Its resemblance to the aggressive Black Drongo is so strong that it's considered one of the best examples of Batesian mimicry in the avian world. - Despite its 'cuckoo' family name, it doesn't build its own nest or raise its young, instead laying its eggs in the nests of other bird species. - H...