- Dicrurus sumatranus
Identification
29cm. A distinctive drongo:
- Tail nearly square-ended, outer rectrices straight or very slightly curving outwards
- Rather short bill
- Black plumage with deep ultramarine-blue gloss
- Small feathers at base of bill cover about two-third of lenght of bill
- Exaggerated rictal bristles, projecting nearly as far as tip of bill
- Red eye
Sexes similar, females are smaller. Juveniles undescribed.
Distribution
Endemic to the mountains of Sumatra (Indonesia).
Widespread and locally common.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies recongized:
- D. s. sumatranus Humid lowlands of Sumatra
- D. s. viridinitens Mentawi Islands (off Sumatra)
Has been considered conspecific with Hair-crested Drongo and belongs to a superspecies with Hair-crested Drongo, Sulawesi Drongo, Wallacean Drongo, Balicassiao, Spangled Drongo and Ribbon-tailed Drongo.
Habitat
Submontane and lower montane primary forest or tall secondary forest. Occurs up to 800m, possibly up to 1500m.
Behaviour
Feeds on insects. Sallies from a perch and hawks its prey in air.
Often seen on vertical trunk with head up and tail pressed against bark like a woodpecker. Then it ascends in flitting hops to take ants.
Commonly in mixed-species flocks.
Few data about breeding. One bird was seen in early April feeding two nestling.
A resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Sumatran Drongo. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 March 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Sumatran_Drongo