The crow-billed drongo (Dicrurus annectens) belongs to the family of drongos, the Dicruridae.
The crow-billed drongo species is distributed in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, southeast Asia and China. These drongo species are short-legged and have an upright stance when perched. These drongos are monotypic species.
Appearance, physical description and identification
The crow-billed drongo (Dicrurus annectens) is a medium-sized drongo, measuring 25 to 30 cm in length and weighing 45 to 70 grams.The adult crow-billed drongo has black plumage. The bill is thick, with broad base. The irises are reddish. The legs and feet are short and are gray in color. The call of these species is a loud fluty whistling sound.
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| Birds of India - Image of Crow-billed drongo - Dicrurus annectens by Brian Evans |
Origin, geographical range and distribution
These crow-billed drongo species are distributed in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and China.In India, these crow-billed drongo species are distributed in the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, northern West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram.
The Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) of the crow-billed drongo species in Nepal are Chitwan National Park and Mai Valley forests. The IBA in Cambodia is Phnom Bokor.
The IBA of the crow-billed drongo species in Laos are Xe Kong Plains, Upper Xe Kaman, Nakai-Nam Theun and Eastern Bolikhamxay Mountains.
Ecosystem and habitat
These crow-billed drongo species have moderate forest dependence. They normally occur in altitudes from 0 to 2000 meters. The artificial ecosystems and habitats of these species include heavily degraded forests, plantations and agricultural lands.The natural ecosystems and habitats of these crow-billed drongo species include tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests, tropical and subtropical mangrove forests, dense evergreen forests, deciduous forests, dry savanna and dry shrublands.
Diet and feeding behavior
The diet of these crow-billed drongo species consists mainly of insects. Flying insects, ants, termites, grasshoppers, dragonflies, crickets, cicada and spiders are their primary food. They hunt from a perch and capture prey on the ground.Reproduction and breeding habits
The breeding season of these crow-billed drongo species is from April to June in much of their range. These species are monogamous and territorial. The crow-billed drongo nesting sites include fork in branches of trees.The nest is a small, shallow cup built with grass stems, leaves, rootlets, plant fibers and cobwebs. Both the male and female birds build the nest. The clutch contains two to four eggs. The female incubates the eggs.
Migration and movement patterns
These crow-billed drongo species are partially migratory birds. Breeding resident populations are found in Nepal, Bhutan, parts of northeast India, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and north Vietnam and China.Non-breeding populations of these species are found in Bangladesh, parts of northeast India, southern parts of Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
Crow-billed drongo - Quick Facts
- Scientific name: Dicrurus annectens
- Species author: (Hodgson, 1836)
- Synonyms/Protonym: Bhuchanga annectans Hodgson, 1836
- Family: Dicruridae › Passeriformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
- Vernacular names: English: Crow-billed drongo, Chinese: 鸦嘴卷尾, French: Drongo à gros bec, German: Krähendrongo, Spanish: Drongo picogordo, Russian: Болынеклювый дронго, Japanese: ハシブトオウチュウ
- Other names: Crow Billed Drongo
- Distribution: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, southeast Asia, China
- Diet and feeding habits: insects
- IUCN status listing: Least Concern (LC)
Conservation and survival
The global population size of the crow-billed drongo (Dicrurus annectens) has not been quantified. The overall population trend of the species is not known.In most of its range, this drongo species is reported as locally common to locally frequent (Grimmett et al. 1998). The generation length is not known. Its distribution size is about 2,760,000 sq.km.
Habitat alteration, fragmentation and destruction, deforestation, human intrusions and disturbance and capture for pet-trade are the main threats that are endangering the survival of these species.
IUCN and CITES status
The crow-billed drongo (Dicrurus annectens) does not approach the thresholds for being Vulnerable, either under the range size criterion, or under the population trend criterion or under the population size criterion.The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated the drongo species and has listed it as of "Least Concern".
The CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) status is ‘Not Evaluated’ for the crow-billed drongo (Dicrurus annectens).
| Taxonomy and scientific classification of Dicrurus annectens | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Dicruridae |
| Subfamily: | - |
| Genus: | Dicrurus |
| Species: | D. annectens |
| Binomial name: | Dicrurus annectens |
| IUCN status listing: |
 Least Concern |
Crow-billed drongo image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/beegee49/9173805006/
Image author: Brian Evans | License: CC BY-ND 2.0 as on 6/9/18
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