What do fork-tailed drongo eat?
insects
Fork-Tailed Drongos, or African Drongos, love eating insects and when flames are dropped on the ground, these insects fly straight into the air making them easy prey.
What do drongo birds eat?
Drongos are mostly black or dark grey, short-legged birds, with an upright stance when perched. They have forked tails and some have elaborate tail decorations. They feed on insects which they catch in flight or on the ground.
Do drongos imitate animals?
One clever African bird called the forked-tailed drongo has evolved the ability to mimic the calls of other species, including other types birds and meerkats. When the drongo spots a coveted tasty morsel in the paws or claws of another creature, it simply mimics the warning call of that animal.
Where do fork-tailed drongo live?
Africa
Range and habitat The fork-tailed drongo is a common and widespread resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara. These insect-eating birds are usually found in open forests or bush, and are tolerant of arid climates.
Do Drongos migrate?
Distribution: Spangled Drongos are found throughout northern and eastern Australia. Also found in New Guinea and eastern Indonesia. migratory; Individuals from the northern areas of Western Australia and the Northern Territory migrate northwards to Indonesia, while the eastern Australian birds migrate to New Guinea.
What noise does a drongo bird make?
Spangled Drongos are noisy, conspicuous species and make a wide range of different sounds. Vocalisations include complex mechanical jangling songs, strident whistles, excited chattering calls, harsh grating sounds & mimicry. Pairs or small family groups of Spangled Drongos often chatter and sing together.
What are the Drongos famous for?
The greater racket-tailed drongo is also famous for its superb mimicry of the songs of other species of birds. Another well-known species is the king-crow (Dicrurus macrocercus) of India, so-named because of its aggressive dominance of any crows that venture too closely, and of other potential predators as well.
What is a forked tail?
: having the tail or posterior end of the body deeply cleft a fork-tailed schistosome cercaria usually : having the outer feathers or rays of the tail much longer than the central ones —used of birds and fishes.
What can Drongos do?
Indeed drongos get as much as 23 percent of their daily food by making false alarms and stealing their target’s dinner. Sometimes drongos can deceive their victims by using their drongo alarm call. Drongos have an arsenal of alarm calls of numerous species, including birds and mammals, Flower has discovered.
Why do Drongos mimic?
One vocalization is a true drongo alarm call used to warn others about a predator, and one is a false alarm call, mimicked from another species, that is used to flush individuals away from food items that the drongo will then retrieve (Flower, 2011) .
What sound does a drongo bird make?
What Australian bird is black with red eyes?
The White-winged Chough
The White-winged Chough is a large, almost completely black bird. It has a curved beak, a red eye and a large white wing patch, which is seen when the bird is in flight.
How does a fork tailed drongo steal food?
The fork-tailed drongo uses alarm calls to steal food from birds and animals such as meerkats. They make drongo-specific calls as well as mimicked calls. The mimicked calls help them while they target other animals that are eating food. The animals flee, and leave their food.
Where does a fork tailed drongo live in Africa?
Range and habitat. The fork-tailed drongo is a common and widespread resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara. These insect-eating birds are usually found in open forests or bush, and are tolerant of arid climates.
What kind of food does a drongo eat?
Terrestrial foragers like babblers may use the drongo as a sentry. They are almost exclusively carnivorous, but may take nectar when available. They flycatch or take prey from the ground, and are attracted to bush fires. They also utilize disturbance caused by animals, and may perch on their backs.
What kind of habitat does a drongo live in?
Range and habitat. The fork-tailed drongo is a common and widespread resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara. These insect -eating birds are usually found in open forests or bush, and are tolerant of arid climates.