Grand Comoro drongo  (Dicrurus fuscipennis)

Classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List 2006 (1).

The Grand Comoro drongo has a precarious existence living around an active volcano. It is a glossy, black bird with a long, forked tail. Like other drongos, their stout, black bill is arched and slightly hooked (3). The legs are also black. When flying, the underside of the wings reflect light, making it appear as if there are pale patches. Juveniles differ by having matt blackish-brown plumage. The calls of the drongo consist of squeaks and sharp clicks, and a soft wit wit sound (2).

Occurs only around Mount Karthala, (an active volcano), on Grand Comoro Island, the largest island in the Union of the Comoros, in the Indian Ocean (2).

The Grand Comoro drongo is found at the edges of forests, in forest clearings, and in plantations and fields. It is generally found between elevations of 500 and 900 meters, in areas with a dense bush layer but few tall trees (2).

The Grand Comoro drongo has been seen searching for food either by themselves or in pairs. Like other drongos, it feeds primarily on large flying insects, by flying out from a branch to snatch them from the air, and then returning to consume it (2) (3). It builds cup-shaped nests in trees, and one such nest has been observed being robbed by a Frances’ goshawk, despite attempts by the parent to scare it off with vicious attacks (4).

Forests on Grand Comoro Island are a highly threatened habitat, due to a very high, and increasing, human population converting the forest for agriculture. Any remaining natural forest is highly fragmented. However, the forests on the slope of Mount Karthala are not very suitable for agriculture and therefore may be spared this fate (5). Introduced species may also pose a threat; rats are known to be abundant within forests on Grand Comoro Island, and may predate the nests of the drongo (2). As the Grand Comoro drongo is found only surrounding an active volcano, a volcanic eruption could potentially have devastating consequences for this bird.

A protected area has been proposed for Mount Karthala but this has not yet been established (5). If such vital forest habitat is not protected there is a high risk of further habitat loss, and possibly the loss of many endemic species, including the Grand Comoro drongo.

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

For further information on the Grand Comoro drongo see Birdlife International:
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=6031&m=0