Spangled Drongo
A species of Drongos Scientific name : Dicrurus bracteatus Genus : Drongos
Spangled Drongo, A species of Drongos
Botanical name: Dicrurus bracteatus
Genus: Drongos
Content
Description People often ask General Info
Photo By Andrew Thomas , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
Its basically black plumage is iridescent with blue and purple highlights. Its eyes are crimson. The most remarkable characteristic of its appearance is its tail, which is described by Morcombe as "long, outcurved and forked" and on first examination looks like its feathers are crossed over – like crossing your fingers. Young drongos lack the highlights and spots and their eyes are dark brown. 
Size
28 - 32 cm
Feeding Habits
Spangled Drongo is omnivorous, mainly consuming winged insects, caterpillars, moths, and nectar. They exhibit unique feeding by wiping bees against branches to remove stings before consumption. Typically foraging alone, spangled Drongo hunts in flight and is known to steal prey from other birds. They also join mixed-species flocks, particularly when targeting small bats or feeding on fruits.
Habitat
Spangled Drongo thrives in diverse tropical wooded environments, ranging from dense rainforests and monsoon forests to mangroves and gallery forests. They are also found in planted forests with teak tree plantations, secondary forests with considerable canopy height, and forest fringes. In addition to natural settings, spangled Drongo adapts to human-altered areas such as villages, suburban gardens, and even urban areas close to native vegetation. This species inhabits regions with vine forests and the transitional areas between rainforest or monsoon forest and open eucalypt woodlands, including both moist and drier sclerophyll habitats.
Dite type
Insectivorous
People often ask
General Info
Behavior
The spangled drongo displays uninhibited and sometimes comical behaviour as it swoops and perches in search of insects, small birds and occasionally, small skinks. When it seasonally visits urban areas it is easily tamed by throwing small pieces of raw meat into the air, when it will accurately swoop and catch them mid-air. Whilst this bird is often silent, it sometimes makes astonishingly loud, complex and entertaining calls that may sound like a "sneeze". The spangled drongo is an amazing mimic taking most of its vocabulary from the sounds heard in the vicinity and weaving them into a virtuoso aria. The spangled drongo is the only drongo to be found in Australia. These birds are altitudinal and latitudinal migrants, and in the high altitude areas around Brisbane in Queensland, they arrive in late spring and leave with their new crop of juveniles in mid-summer. Nests are cup shaped in open spaces, where it is difficult for predators to access without being seen, 75% up the canopy. Each year, they produce 3-5 young.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Drongos Genus
Drongos Species
Spangled Drongo 
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