Black Drongo Baby? - Bangkok 9 July 2023 (1 Viewer)

[Aladdin]

Dear Members and Bird Watchers!

I took a picture of this bird yesterday and it looks very strange to me. With long tails and I would have ID the bird as a Black Drongo. So I was thinking baby and I looked for pictures of Black Drongos on eBird and internet.

All the juveniles had long tails, so can this be a very young bird. Perching on a branch together with an adult Black Drongo. Both birds took off to a tree and the bird was alone on the branch when I spotted the bird for the second time.

What do you think about this bird?

Kind Regards and Happy Birding
Aladdin

 

[Butty]

Full-grown drongo that's lost its whole tail.

 

[Aladdin]

Full-grown drongo that's lost its whole tail.

Thank you very much Butty (again)

First time I saw the bird, I flushed the bird from the branch. And I was like WHAT IS THIS? The bird looked very strange and I was thinking black bird when I saw the bird disappear.

Coming back and I could take a picture and it looked exactly like a Black Bird without the tail. I have seen Greater Racket-tailed with only one "racket" but this was the first time.

Thanks again
Aladdin

 

[johnallcock]

Perhaps it's survived a close encounter with a predator, losing its tail in the process.

You can see that this is an adult, because it has two ages of wing feathers - the longer feathers are from last year, and are now worn and faded, looking brownish. The newer feathers are starting to grow and look fresh and glossy black (with at least one visibly only half grown).
The missing tail isn't due to moult, as they wouldn't lose all the feathers at once. But they will usually moult the tail at around this time of year, so the missing tail should grow back fairly soon.

 

[Aladdin]

Perhaps it's survived a close encounter with a predator, losing its tail in the process.

You can see that this is an adult, because it has two ages of wing feathers - the longer feathers are from last year, and are now worn and faded, looking brownish. The newer feathers are starting to grow and look fresh and glossy black (with at least one visibly only half grown).
The missing tail isn't due to moult, as they wouldn't lose all the feathers at once. But they will usually moult the tail at around this time of year, so the missing tail should grow back fairly soon.

Thank you johnallcock!!

This was very interesting, with the brown feathers. I always thought they were young birds. In my guide:
AD:Shows uniform steel-blue gloss
Juv: is duller sooty brown

And now thanks to your post I learned something, the bird in my picture have clear brown wing and now I know it is previous year feather.

I bought towels, black and one set with sooty brown and they are almost looking exactly the same.

I see a lot of Black Drongos here and now it will be nice to know about the brown feathers

Seems like I learn something every time I am at bridforum, things you cannot really learn from the bird books and I am grateful!

Kind Regards
Aladdin