Black Drongo

The black drongo is a glossy black songbird about 28cm long with a widely forked tail. Adults usually have a small white spot at the corner of the gape, and the iris is dark brown, not crimson as in the similar ashy drongo. The sexes look alike. Juveniles are brownish with some white barring or speckling towards the belly and vent, and can be mistaken for the white-bellied drongo. It flies with strong wingbeats and is agile enough to catch insects in flight (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is common in open farmland and light forest, perching conspicuously on bare branches or along power and telephone lines as it watches for insects. It is fearless and aggressive, attacking much larger birds such as crows and dive-bombing any bird of prey that enters its territory, which earned it the name king crow; smaller birds often nest near a nesting black drongo for protection. SoIB 2023 lists it as resident in India with local movements and a very large range, finds its current trend stable, and rates it a Low conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).