In today’s Birds We See Around series, let me introduce another quite common bird found even in the piles of concrete, the common Indian Drongo or Black Drongo. There are about 10 species of Drongos in India, of which, the Black and Ashy drongos are commonly seen.
The striking feature of a drongo (called ‘finge’ ফিঙে in Bengali) is the forked tail which looks very similar to that of a fish. I discovered this particular bird perching high up on a power supply wire in front of my house. I won’t say it visits my garden like the sparrows or the black redstart for it never has come down to eat anything that we offer to the other birds as drongos mostly feed on insects which they like to hunt aerially. However, the bird comes regularly in the morning and, my guesswork says, it has its nest somewhere nearby.
The drongos build nests generally on the higher branches of tall trees and lay four eggs at a time. They are famous for their aggressive beahaviour and often are seen attacking even larger birds of prey entering its territory. This has earned it an informal name, King-crow. Other smaller birds often like to be in the proximity of a perching drongo. Perhaps, they feel comparatively safer.
I’ve heard its call too; it’s somewhat sharp and distinct. I’ll add an audio if I succeed in recording it.
My other regular avian visitors are doing well and, two more different birds have joined the crowd along with the existing ones. Even the Woodpecker couple pays us occasional visits. In the next part, I’ll showcase one of my newer guests. Till then, tweet, tweet! Chirp chirp!
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When I first started birding, this was the bird I could easily recognise. Hence it will always be special 🙂
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It’s a nice-looking bird.
P.S. My comments on your blog vanished. They might have landed on your spam folder. Please check… 🙂
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We guess we have been ignoring this bird all this while mistaking it for a crow! The tail looks so different than the other birds and color looks so gorgeous..
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Yes, other than the tail, it’s easy to mistake it for a crow! 😀 Many of my readers also have said the same… the tail is gorgeous anyway…
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They so much look like a crow! Good to know.. 🙂
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The tail…that’s a distinct difference… 😀
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Did notice that! 🙂
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🙂 …
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Nice picture. The drongo is quite a well known bird in Bengal .
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Thanks…Yes, it’s quite a common one…
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Nice article!
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Thank you… 🙂
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I get to see them here too. They do cheer up the day. 🙂
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Indeed… 🙂
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Wonderful informative post.Remember reading that they are excellent mimics too.
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Yes, I’ve heard that too…thanks Deepakji… 🙂
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Nostalgic! You drived me to some nice memories, and beautiful photography Maniparna.
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Thank you. I’m happy that the photos were able to evoke your memories… 🙂
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The tail at the back reminded me a little of a swallow, but from the other angles, it looks quite different. I like the word “drongo.” I don’t know why. If I ever get a dog, I might call him Drongo.
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Drongo is a funny name indeed and, in my mother tongue, the name is even funnier. The tail is a unique one… 🙂
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Maniparna Sengupta Majumder: A Tribute
This is how an average day of the creeper of the jewels unfolds
Early morning: she looks at the sky: a Haiku is born
Then she looks at sun rise: again Haiku
Then A cursory glance at the surroundings: Spots a Drongo….post on the same
When Drongo flies away she looks at the trees and ruminates: becomes a post
After sipping coffee she goes for a walk: Looks at the withering leaves: a post is born
Out of the confusion to tread the same beaten track, another post is born
She steps into her so called small garden, looks at the yet to bloom buds: one more post
She spots a red rose in full bloom” Pulls out the camera and a picture is born…but wait A haiku alongside her own picture is mandatory so they are always twins…A picture and Haiku ruminating about new hopes being born
After surveying her garden for flowers and couple more birds, she steps out presumably to buy something….Demonetization in vogue so spots an ATM thru an app: moments later a review post is born
Virtues of going cashless flows out as another post
Way back visits some durga pooja pandals if it is that time of the year or spots a b school or two: another post is born
And when she comes back home, joins in the celebration for sisters wedding…at the end of it….a share it all post…
Then the shadow lengthens and another haiku on dawn or setting sun…
She gets out of her routine and heads to Khandagiri caves, in the name of change, goes on a clicking spree….comes back compiles and publishes another travelogue! Routine as change!!
She says she finds some breathing space from the above routine activities and finds time to go bird watching, gardening,haiku writing and photography!
I did not know what to write as a comment for this post and came up with the above!!
But Drango rhymes with Django as in Django Unchained!! And truly its Drango Unchained!!
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Hahaha…thank you so much for this, Aneesh 😀 You’ve made me such a prolific blogger here, I’m really smiling broadly 😀 I wish I really had a magical pen like you’ve said here… sigh…
Thank you once again. And, yes Drongo does rhyme with Django… 😀 😀
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🙂
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I just love his magnificent tail .. Thank you for sharing the Black Drongo. a new bird to me.. 🙂 and Love him.. ❤
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I love their unique tail, too 😀 They look so cute in that way… ❤
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They are an elegant bird..
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Yes… ❤
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So much to enrich my knowledge on the winged friends!
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Such simple and sweet creatures they are… ❤
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It’s the double tailed bird, no..
Infact nowadays can’t see any birds other than crows and pigeons..sparrows and all,where are they
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Disappearing rapidly from the concrete cages of the city…but, it’s a matter of concern that they are also becoming rarer in rural areas…
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I like the fact you shared it eats insects rather than seeds. The black drongo is special and pretty blue colored. 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Maniparna! xo
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Yes, I think that’s why it never comes down to the garden. I love the colour of the bird, too…thanks a lot, Robin, for stopping by and appreciating the little birdie… ❤
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This is so beautiful !!
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Thank you… 🙂
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Hey!!! Few days back I had been googling for these birds. I saw them multiple times flying over our terrace and my sister kept telling me they were crows! I noticed the forked tail and smaller sizes and told her they weren’t. She said, they were baby crows 😐
Anyway, I did google & find out they were drongos. But here is more information! 😀 Thanks and please do catch their sounds. I am super curious now 🙂
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“She said, they were baby crows 😐” 😀
Thanks, Ranjini, glad to know there are more bird enthusiasts like me here… 🙂 I’ll definitely try to record the call…
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How very beautiful and interesting! 🙂
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Indeed they are….thank you… 🙂
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Thank you so much..you refreshed my childhood memory…I was acquainted with drongo by my father in my early childhood days.
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Yes, they used to perch on telegraph wires…quite a bunch of them. I’ve seen them in my childhood while travelling on trains…my baba also told me the name … 🙂
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You are in good company of your winged friends. 🙂
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Thanks, Somali, and I’m really happy for that… 🙂
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Thank you for educating me on another bird I didn’t even know existed, Maniparna!! ❤
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Absolutely my pleasure, Amy ❤ Glad you liked the bird… 🙂
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I have seen this bird many times but was clueless about its name. And presto, here is an informative input. Thanks Mani…
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Thanks so much, Sir. Glad to be of some help… 🙂
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I hope you can record her/his call Maniparna 🙂 Our Drongo’s are the spangled variety and they have the same forked tail – we also call the “Winky Dink” birds because that is what their call sounds a bit like 🙂 Thanks Mani – beautiful pics as usual and info 🙂
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With my every bird post, I always learn something new about their Australian counterparts. Heartfelt thanks for enlightening me each time, Andy… 🙂
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My pleasure Mani – It always amazes me to see the similarities in birdlife around the world… I guess its sort of like us (people) eh? 🙂
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True that..only that birds are free to fly from one place to other, across continents and oceans… we humans are bound by so many rules and regulations…
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Indeed – Imagine one world! I think it would be amazing 🙂
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Yes 😀 But, it will never happen… 😦
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True. There is no money in ‘one world’ 😦
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Deep, Andy…very deep is your comment!
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This is really interesting!! Thank you 🙂 Blessings to you and to all your little visitors. Have a wonderful day ~In Loving, Debbie
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Aww…thanks so much, Debbie, for your kind wishes… 🙂
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Beautiful post and pics
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Thank you, Rupam… 🙂
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Never thought a crow could look this majestic! Superb 🙂
P.S. Are you building a “bird garden” around your home?
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The difference between common crows and drongos is their tail… and also the colour varies… 🙂
Haha…not really 😀 I don’t have that much space around… 😦
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The first of those images is a jarring symbol of incarceration of drongoes and his mates of the sky. Wel-captured story.
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True that… unknowingly enough, the bird made itself a captive… 😦
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Beautiful …amazing
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Thank you!
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This is the first I’ve heard of a drongo. Beautiful bird.
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Isn’t it… small, simple and beautiful… 🙂
Thank you so much!
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Beautiful shots Maniparna 🙂
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Thank you, Andy… 🙂
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Drongo – did not know that. thanks for sharing.
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I think you might have seen them sitting on telegraph wires especially along the railway lines…
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Wow amazing!
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Thanks, Lynn… 🙂
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