A widespread and common resident of Southern Africa, the Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis) is an incredibly intelligent bird species.
They are often seen following herds of Cape Buffalo or African Elephant here at Ingwelala. Found alone, in pairs, in flocks or with other species of birds, this species is a common sighting that is often overlooked in the bush.
Named after the deep fork evident in the tail feathers, this is one of two species of drongo found locally. The other, the Square-tailed Drongo, is slightly smaller and lacks the distinctive deep fork in the tail feathers, instead having a shallower fork.
Another confusing species may be the Southern Black Flycatcher, which is smaller still, and lacks the red eye, slightly hooked bill and forked tail.
Known to feed on insects, particularly bees in mid-flight or insects flushed by large herds of mammals, the Fork-tailed Drongo can also occasionally be seen feeding on nectar or even collecting termites on the ground. The bird pictured here was feeding on the nectar of aloe flowers, resulting in its face being coated in bright yellow pollen.
Did you know?
Although Fork-tailed Drongos have a distinctive call, they are known to be exceptional mimics. Drongos are such talented and renowned mimics that it can be incredibly difficult to tell the difference. They have also been known to mimic mechanical sounds and even mammal calls!
Fun Fact:
- Drongos have been known to use their mimicry skills for a type of parasitism known as kleptoparasitism - where they mimic the calls of birds of prey (such as eagles and owlets) to trick other birds into thinking a bird of prey is present. This may cause the bird to drop their food to flee, allowing the drongo to steal their meal!
This has also been noted with some animals from the Suricate family - such as mongooses - where the drongos will mimic a raptor’s call to steal meals from the mongooses. When the mongooses came to realise it was a false alarm, the drongos learned to mimic the alarm calls of the mongooses to send them fleeing instead!
More on the Fork-tailed Drongo >>
Words by Tess Woollgar. Images courtesy of Tessa Woolgar