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Andaman Drongo
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Andaman Drongo
Dicrurus andamanensis
The Andaman Drongo (Dicrurus andamanensis) is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. The species is endemic to the Andaman Islands of the Indian Ocean. There are two subspecies, the nominate race being found across the main islands of the archipelago, and the race dicruriformis occurring on Great Coco Island and Table Island in the north of the chain.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
From the article Andaman drongo on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
The Andaman drongo is 28-29 cm long, although the larger dicruriformis subspecies is 35 cm in length. These birds possess 2-centimeter-long hairy filaments and feathers on each side of the neck. In terms of coloration, the males have black plumage, with the exception of brownish primaries and a black abdomen, flanks, and undertail-coverts. Their entire plumage has green sheen, and their wing-linings have a silvery brown hue with white-tipped axillaries and underwing-coverts. The females have a less pronounced forked tail and are smaller in size compared to the males. Juveniles, in their early stages, display a more square-ended tail, a browner and less glossy appearance than the adults, and a lack of the distinctive frontal filaments. Additionally, they exhibit more prominent white tips on their axillaries and underwing coverts.
Range & habitat
The Andaman drongo is endemic to the Andaman Islands, situated in the Bay of Bengal. Formerly classified as a subspecies of the black drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus), recent genetic research has firmly established it as a distinct species. DNA analysis by Dr. S. Krishnan in 2015, as published in the 'Avian Biology Research' journal, confirmed this reclassification.
Wikipedia: “Subspecies and distribution”
What it does
Its diet mainly consists of insects, like dragonflies, butterflies, and beetles, as well as spiders and other small arthropods.
Wikipedia: “Diet”
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Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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Every page naming Dicrurus andamanensis in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 8279.