From Opus
- Dicrurus bracteatus
[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.
The different subspecies vary in size and in degree of gloss.
The only drongo in its range.
[edit] Distribution
Northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea and eastern Indonesia (Moluccas). Also in the Philippines if several subspecies are accepted to belong to this species (see taxonomy)
Common in most of its race. Some island subspecies under threat of habitat destruction.
[edit] Taxonomy
Eleven to seventeen subspecies are recognized:[1],[2]
- D. b. morotensis on Morotai (Indonesia)
- D. b. atrocaeruleus on Halmahera, Bacan and West Papuan Islands (Indonesia)
- D. b. buruensis on Buru (Indonesia)
- D. b. amboinensis on Seram, Ambon, Haruku and Saparua (Indonesia)
- D. b. carbonarius in lowland New Guinea and adjacent islands
- D. b. laemostictus on New Britain and Umboi (Papua New Guinea)
- D. b. meeki on Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands)
- D. b. longirostris on San Cristobal (Solomon Islands)
- D. b. baileyi in northwest Australia
- D. b. atrabectus in northeast Australia
- D. b. bracteatus in coastal east Australia
The following subspecies are regarded as a part of the Hair-crested Drongo complex by most authorities[2]:
ssp
striatus - Hair-crested Drongo, Spangled Drongo or another species?
Photo by
Mark BrucePICOP, Bislig, Mindanao Island,
Philippines, January 2009
- D. b. samarensis on Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Calicoan, Panaon and Bohol (east-central Philippines)
- D. b. palawanensis on Palawan (western Philippines)
- D. b. cuyensis on Semirara and Cuyo (west-central Philippines)
- D. b. striatus on Basilan, Mindanao and Nipa (south Philippines)
- D. b. suluensis in the Sulu Archipelago (south-west Philippines)
Further taxonomic research is needed to clear species boarders.
Has been considered conspecific with Hair-crested Drongo and belongs to a superspecies with Hair-crested Drongo, Sumatran Drongo, Wallacean Drongo, Balicassiao, Sulawesi Drongo and Ribbon-tailed Drongo. Tablas Drongo was included as a subspecies to this species by some authorities.
[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
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- 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
[edit] External Links
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