- Dicrurus waldenii
Identification
34.5 - 38cm. The only drongo on Mayotte.
- Uniformly deep lustrous black plumage with dark dull greenish-blue gloss
- Very long and deeply forked tail
- Red eye
- Strong, heavy and long bill
Sexes similar, females slightly smaller. Juveniles are more brownish-black and have a shorter tail.
Distribution
Endemic to Mayotte (Maore), Comoro Islands. Only present on Grande Terre.
Commonly found above 200m, but with a very small range. Population now estimated at 2500 birds.
Taxonomy
A monotypic species.
It's closest relatives are Crested Drongo and Aldabra Drongo.
Habitat
Found in summit rainforest and mixed secondar humid forest above 200m. Also in degraded forest but in much lower numbers.
Behaviour
Feeds mainly on insects.
Hunts from a perch from where it sallies out like a flycatcher or slaloms between stand of vegetation.
Breeding observed from September to February. Aggressively territorial and harrassing and chasing any other animal coming to close to nest. The nest is a rounded cup made of intertwined vegetable fibres. It's placed 5 - 18m above the ground in a tree. Lays 1 - 3 eggs.
A resident species.
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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Mayotte Drongo. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Mayotte_Drongo
