- Bronzed Drongo
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Bronzed Drongo 
near Purbasthali in Burdwan District, West Bengal, India. Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Dicruridae Genus: Dicrurus Species: D. aeneus Binomial name Dicrurus aeneus
Vieillot, 1817Synonyms Chaptia aenea
The Bronzed Drongo (Dicrurus aeneus) is a small Indomalayan bird belonging to the drongo group. They are resident in the forests of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They are very similar to the other drongos of the region but are somewhat smaller and compact with differences in the fork depth and the patterns of gloss on their feathers.
Contents
Description
This drongo is somewhat smaller than the Black Drongo and has more metallic gloss with a spangled appearance on the head, neck and breast. The lores are velvety and the ear coverts are duller. The tail is slender and well forked with the outer tail feathers flaring outward slightly. Immatures have their axillaries tipped in white.[2] The young bird is duller and brownish with less spangling.[3]
The nominate race is found in India and extending until the northern part of the Malay Peninsula. Specimens from southern India are however very similar in morphometrics to those from malayensis of Burma and the size variation may be clinal. The subspecies from China kwangsiensis is treated as synonymous with aeneus. Subspecies malayensis is found from Selangor south into, Sumatra and Borneo. Taiwan is home to braunianus in the mountains of the interior.[2][4]
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Near Purbasthali in Burdwan District, West Bengal, India
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Near Purbasthali in Burdwan District, West Bengal, India
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At Narendrapur near Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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Near Purbasthali in Burdwan District, West Bengal, India
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Near Purbasthali in Burdwan District, West Bengal, India.
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at Narenderpur near Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Distribution
The Bronzed Drongo is found in the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats of India and the lower Himalayas from western Uttaranchal eastwards into Indochina int Hainan, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and northern Borneo. This species is usually found in moist broadleaved forest.[2][5]
Behaviour and ecology
They are found singly or in a group of two to three. They very actively make aerial sallies and make use of the same favourite perches.[3]
The breeding season is February to July. Three or four pinkish to brownish eggs are laid in a cup nest in a tree. The eggs are darker on the broad end and often have cloudy spots. The nest is covered in cobwebs and often appears whitish.[5] These are aggressive and fearless birds, 24 cm in length, and will attack much larger species if their nest or young are threatened.[6]
References
- ^ BirdLife International (2009). Dicrurus aeneus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 8 April 2009.
- ^ a b c Vaurie, Charles. (1949). "A revision of the bird family Dicruridae". Bulletin of the AMNH 93 (4): 203–342. hdl:2246/1240.
- ^ a b Rasmussen PC & JC Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Volume 2. Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions. p. 591.
- ^ Baker, EC Stuart (1918). "Some notes on the Dicruridae". Novitates zoologicae 25: 291–304. http://www.archive.org/stream/novitateszoologi25lond#page/302/mode/2up/search/chaptia+aenea.
- ^ a b Ali S & SD Ripley (1986). Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan. 5 (2 ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 126–128.
- ^ Hume, AO (1889). The nests and eggs of Indian birds. Volume 1. R H Porter, London. pp. 210–213. http://www.archive.org/stream/nestseggsofindia01hume#page/210/mode/2up/search/aenea.
External links
Categories:- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Drongos
- Birds of Thailand
- Birds of India
- Birds of Bangladesh
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