Drongo
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The drongos are a family of small passerine birds of the Old World tropics. They are found in the family Dicruridae, which is sometimes much enlarged to include a number of largely Australasian groups, such as the Australasian fantails, monarchs and paradise flycatchers.
These insectivorous birds are found in usually open forests or bush. Most are black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright whilst perched, like a shrike. They flycatch or take prey from the ground.
Two to four eggs are laid in a nest high in a tree. These are aggressive and fearless birds, given their small size, and drongos will attack much larger species if their nest or young are threatened.
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[edit] Species of Dicruridae in taxonomic order
- Pygmy Drongo, Chaetorhynchus papuensis
- Square-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus ludwigii
- Shining Drongo, Dicrurus atripennis
- Fork-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus adsimilis
- Príncipe Drongo, Dicrurus modestus
- Aldabra Drongo, Dicrurus aldabranus
- Comoro Drongo, Dicrurus fuscipennis
- Crested Drongo, Dicrurus forficatus
- Mayotte Drongo, Dicrurus waldenii
- Black Drongo, Dicrurus macrocercus
- Ashy Drongo, Dicrurus leucophaeus
- White-bellied Drongo, Dicrurus caerulescens
- Crow-billed Drongo, Dicrurus annectans
- Bronzed Drongo, Dicrurus aeneus
- Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus remifer
- Hair-crested Drongo, Dicrurus hottentottus
- Balicassiao, Dicrurus balicassius
- Sulawesi Drongo, Dicrurus montanus
- Sumatran Drongo, Dicrurus sumatranus
- Wallacean Drongo, Dicrurus densus
- Ribbon-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus megarhynchus
- Spangled Drongo, Dicrurus bracteatus
- Andaman Drongo, Dicrurus andamanensis
- Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus paradiseus
[edit] In Australian culture
- In Australian slang, "drongo" means a loser or idiot. As in most slang the meaning changes with the way it is said. In the Bush Dance, sometimes called the Drongo, the person who misses out on a partner (musical chairs style) becomes 'the drongo' for the next time through the dance and is the butt of a gentle humorous use of the word. On the other hand, a waiter who spills hot soup in a customer's lap may hear a distinctly vitriolic use!
- The origin of this term was a racehorse called Drongo, probably named after the Spangled Drongo. It raced in the 1920s (foaled 1921, retired 1925) and was deemed unlucky never to have come better than second in thirty-seven starts. (Wannan 1970, p. 200)
- "Drongo" was used in the RAAF during World War II to denote raw recruits.
[edit] References
Wannan, Bill (1970), Australian Folklore, Lansdowne Press, ISBN 0-7018-1309-1.
[edit] External links
- Drongo videos on the Internet Bird Collection
