Drongos 7 1 7 



THE DRONGOS 



(Family Dicrurida) 



The Drongos, or King Crows, constitute a small but rather sharply circum- 

 scribed group of exclusively Old World birds, having their center of abundance 

 in southeastern Asia, whence they range over the Ethiopian region, and in 

 decreasing numbers through the Malayan region to Australia. They are easily 

 distinguished from all other passerine families by the generally black plumage 

 and forked tail of ten feathers, the outer rectrices being in several forms much 

 prolonged and more or less curved outward, while in other cases the outermost 

 pair are expanded at the end into racket-like forms. As a group the Drongos 

 have usually been placed with or near the Shrikes (Laniidce), whence they are 

 sometimes called Drongo-Shrikes ; but Mr. Gates, who has had unrivaled oppor- 

 tunity of studying the Indian forms, places them next to the Creepers (Certhiidcz). 

 Judging from their skulls, Dr. Sharpe is of the opinion that they are not Shrikes 

 but aberrant Flycatchers (Muscicapidce), and from their style of nest thinks it 

 possible that they have also some affinity with the Orioles (Oriolida] ; in the 

 face of these conflicting statements it is obvious that we must await a fuller 

 study of their structure as well as that of allied forms, before their position can 

 be definitely fixed. 



They are medium-sized birds, mostly between ten and twelve inches in 

 length, though in certain of the long-tailed forms above mentioned the extraor- 

 dinary elongation of the outer rectrices sometimes more than doubles their 

 whole length. They have strong, somewhat Crow-like bills, the edges of both 

 mandibles being smooth and the upper one provided with a single notch. Many 

 of them are crested, and all possess more or fewer strong bristles at the base of 

 the bill. The sexes are absolutely alike and the plumage of the nestling is like 

 that of the adult bird, but paler. 



The Drongos are quite handsome and, for the most part, familiar birds, 

 some living in open country, others in gardens and fields, while still others occur 

 only in the forests. They are active, wary birds, capable of strong and rapid 

 but undulating and not sustained flight, and are usually observed in pairs or 

 small parties. They are entirely insectivorous, and, according to Mr. Oates, 

 "feed habitually on the wing, darting from some perch on a tree into the air to 

 catch an insect and returning to the same or an adjoining branch," but they 

 also to some extent seek their food on the ground and on the backs of cattle. 

 The Drongos all have cheerful notes and are good mimics, some, such as the 

 Large Racket-tail possessing a really fine song, it being in the estimation of 

 many the "best-singing bird of the East." They are usually remarkable for 

 their courage, fighting viciously and attacking with success such large birds as 

 Hawks and Crows. Their nests are usually rather loosely constructed cup- 

 shaped affairs of twigs, fine grasses, rootlets, leaves, hair, cobwebs, etc.-, generally 

 placed on horizontal forks and often overhanging water; the eggs, usually three 



