IX 

 DRONGOS OR KING CROWS. 



Are ano'her well-defined group or family of birds, many of them 

 being well-known and familiar. They are always conspicuous from 

 the manner in which they get their living, by taking up a prominent 

 position on some point of vantage from which they make sudden 

 swoops and sallies after passing insects. 



In colour they are either all black or dark-grey, and have elongated 

 tail-feathers. And build either cup-shaped or cradle-like nests 

 suspended between the outmost twigs of some lofty branch. 



Drongos are plucky, cheery birds, with pleasant notes, and are 

 great mimics. 



Burmese name Linmi sw. 



THE BLACK DRONGO OR COMMON KING-CROW. 



This is, I suppose, one of the most striking of the many unfamiliar 

 birds one first sees on arrival in the East, as it is present in every 

 bit of scenery, being found alike around houses and in the jungles. 

 It lives entirely on insects, capturing its prey by making swoops 

 from some prominent position, whether the branch of a tree, tele- 

 graph wire, or the back of a buffalo, generally returning to its 

 original perch. 



They are plucky birds and at the same time great bullys as 

 they attack indiscriminately any bird which they may think intrude 

 on their own particular preserves. It is a pleasing sight to watch 

 a pair attacking or hunting a crow which may have ventured too 

 near their nest, made himself objectionable in some way or other. 

 The crow may at first object to move on, as clearly ordered by 

 the angry language of the king-crows ; he very soon has, however, 

 to take refuge either in a tree or on the ground. And then the 

 fun begins, each king-crow sweeps down alternately with a shrill 

 scream, trying to get a peck, at some unprotected portion of the 

 crow's body; the latter with head thrown back and beak open at 

 first tries to dodge each attack, but it soon becomes too hot for him, 

 and he has to beat a hasty retreat. Crows are, however, very persistent 

 and often score in the end as they generally hunt in pairs. 1 have 

 frequently seen crows flying off with young birds in their beaks, 

 followed by a pair of angry king-crows ; whether the nest robbed 

 was their's or not I cannot say as 1 never saw the actual robbery 

 take place. 



The common king-crow has pleasant cheery notes and calls, and 

 is the first bird up as well as one of the very last to go to bed. 

 It is a black bird about twelve inches in length, with fairly long 

 forked tail, the two outermost feathers being curled up at the ends. 



