Ashy drongo  (Dicrurus leucophaeus)

The ashy drongo is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1).

A magnificent flier, the ashy drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus) is an agile and highly mobile bird, executing remarkable twists and turns in the air with extreme skill and speed (8) (9). With 14 different subspecies (2), each differing in their distribution and plumage colour, the ashy drongo is also exceedingly variable in its appearance (2) (3) (4).

As its name suggests, the ashy drongo is generally ash-grey on the upperparts (2) (5), with slightly lighter underparts which become even paler towards the belly (5). The iris of the adult ashy drongo is red to reddish-brown (2) (3) (5) (6), whereas in the juvenile it is brown (2) (6) (7). The legs and bill of the ashy drongo are black (2) (6) (7).

All subspecies are marked with a black chin and a dark, velvety band on their front, but differ in the amount of lighter feathers on the face, with some having a full white facial patch and others having simple white eye patches (2).

There is a distinct difference between the subspecies in overall size and weight, the shape of the bill, and the length and degree of forking in the tail (2). The male tends to be slightly larger than the female, but the plumage colouration is the same in both sexes (2) (6) (7). The juvenile ashy drongo is browner than the adult, with a white edge on the underside of the tail (2).

This diverse species has a chattering call (4) (5), formed of scratchy, harsh notes (4) (7) and wheezy, shrill whistles (4). The song of the ashy drongo has been reported to be variable (7), but often consists of a simple phrase described as ‘chochobyuui’ (5). As well as its own typical call, the ashy drongo has been known to mimic the calls of other passerines (3) (5).

The ashy drongo is found in south and Southeast Asia (5) (10), ranging from Afghanistan eastwards through India, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam to Indonesia and the Philippines (3) (7) (10). It is also frequently found outside of its normal range, including in the United Arab Emirates (10).

Northern populations of the ashy drongo are migratory, wintering through the Indian subcontinent to Sri Lanka and continental Southeast Asia (6).

Tropical moist forest, mangroves, montane forest, dry savanna and shrublands are the preferred habitats of the ashy drongo (2) (10). This species can also be found in wooded parkland and gardens (6), as well as other cultivated areas (7) (10).

The ashy drongo is typically found from the plains (6) to elevations of up to 2,750 metres above sea level (4) (11), but it has also been recorded at elevations of 4,000 metres in Yunnan, China (2) (3).

Foraging occurs at dusk or dawn, either singly or in large groups. The ashy drongo is primarily insectivorous (2) (3) (6) (7), but occasionally eats some small vertebrates, including lizards and birds. Its insect prey includes locusts, dragonflies, stick-insects, moths and smaller insects such as ants (2). It forages near forest edges, usually perching on a high, open branch or on a telephone wire to detect its prey, before swooping down to catch the insect on the ground or in mid-flight (2) (3) (6) (7). In agricultural areas the ashy drongo will also follow cattle to catch insects that are disturbed as the animal walks (2) (12).

The ashy drongo largely breeds between May and June, but regional variations result in some populations breeding as early as April. Nesting material is collected by the male while the female constructs the nest itself, which is often suspended from, or embedded in, a tree fork. The nest is frequently built overhanging a riverbank at a height of 3 to 15 metres above the ground (2). The ashy drongo’s nest is a shallow, fragile-looking cup of approximately 10 centimetres in diameter and 2.5 centimetres in depth, constructed from bits of small, leafy creeper and felted on the outside with cobwebs and camouflaged with lichen and other greenery (6).

The smooth eggs are a pale, matt pink, with sparse brown speckles and larger flecks of brown, purple-brown and purple-grey (6). Both the male and the female incubate the clutch of one to four eggs and tend to the chicks (2) (6). The ashy drongo is very territorial, being highly aggressive to potential predators, and it viciously defends its brood (2) (6) (9).

Although its population size is unknown, the ashy drongo is thought to be common throughout the Indian subcontinent, except in Bangladesh. The ashy drongo has an extremely large range and is not currently at risk of extinction (1).

There are currently no known conservation plans targeting the ashy drongo (10).

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi is a principal sponsor of ARKive. EAD is working to protect and conserve the environment as well as promoting sustainable development in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

For more information on the ashy drongo and other bird species, see:

• BirdLife International:
  http://www.birdlife.org/

For more information about conservation in the Emirates:

• The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi:
  http://www.ead.ae/en