From Opus

Dicrurus bracteatus

Photo by tcollins
Photo taken: Darwin, Australia

[edit] Identification

28cm - 33cm.Glossy black plumage, iridescent blue-green spots, red eyes, occasional white spotting can be seen on the upper wings, long forked tail. Sexes similar, female slightly smaller. Young birds are more sooty black without the spangles and the eye is brown.

[edit] Distribution

Northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea and eastern Indonesia.

[edit] Taxonomy

Seventeen subspecies are recognized:^[1]

[edit] Habitat

Wet forests and woodlands, mangroves and parks.

[edit] Behaviour

The diet includes insects, fruit and nectar.

Both sexes build a shallow cup nest of twigs, vine tendrils and grasses, held together with spider web. 3-5 eggs are laid and incubated by both sexes.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.

• List of references

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on the ABID