What noise does a spangled drongo make?
Spangled Drongos are noisy, conspicuous species and make a wide range of different sounds. Vocalisations include complex mechanical jangling songs, strident whistles, excited chattering calls, harsh grating sounds & mimicry. Pairs or small family groups of Spangled Drongos often chatter and sing together.
Where do drongo birds live?
Drongos range from Africa to Central Asia, Australia, and western Pacific islands, inhabiting forests, open country, and gardens. They feed like flycatchers or shrikes, taking large insects and termites. Their voices are loud mixtures of harsh and sweet sounds; some species, like the racket-tail, are good mimics.
Where did the word drongo come from?
The word drongo is used in Australian English as a mild form of insult meaning “idiot” or “stupid fellow”. This usage derives from an Australian racehorse of the same name (apparently after the spangled drongo, Dicrurus bracteatus) in the 1920s that never won despite many places.
What do Spangled Drongos eat?
Insects
The prey is guided into the bill with the assistance of sensitive, long, wire-like bristles bordering the bill (rictal bristles). Insects are also taken from foliage and from under bark; fruit and nectar also form part of its diet.
How long do Drongos live for?
How long do drongos live? Their lifespan is 15 years in the wild.
What is a black bird with red eyes?
Asian glossy starlings
If you spot a flock of black birds with blood-red eyes, don’t freak out! They’re just Asian glossy starlings (Aplonis panayensis) roosting together for the night.
Do Spangled Drongos mate for life?
One call of the spangled drongo sounds metallic, resembling the plucking of a taut wire. Drongos form monogamous (muh-NAH-guh-mus) mating pairs. Male and female contribute in building the nest, incubating the eggs (keeping them warm for hatching), and caring for the young.
What are the drongos famous for?
The greater racket-tailed drongo is also famous for its superb mimicry of the songs of other species of birds. Another well-known species is the king-crow (Dicrurus macrocercus) of India, so-named because of its aggressive dominance of any crows that venture too closely, and of other potential predators as well.
Why is the toilet called a dunny?
The dunny was originally any outside toilet. In cities and towns the pan-type dunny was emptied by the dunny man, who came round regularly with his dunny cart. Dunny can now be used for any toilet. The word comes from British dialect dunnekin meaning an ‘earth closet, (outside) privy’ from dung + ken ‘house’.
How big is a spangled drongo?
Up to 32 cm.
Do Drongos eat other birds?
Fork-tailed Drongo Diet The fork-tailed drongo feeds almost exclusively on insects, with the main food being bees hawked on the wing. Tick and parasites are taken from larger mammals. This drongo has also been recorded eating small birds and nectar.