Crested drongo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crested drongo |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Dicrurus
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| Species: |
forficatus
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| Subspecies | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Lanius forficatus Linnaeus, 1766 |
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The crested drongo (Dicrurus forficatus) is a fascinating black bird from the songbird family. It has a cool bluish-green shine, a unique crest of feathers on its forehead, and a tail that looks like a fork.
This bird lives in two main places. One type, called D. f. forficatus, is found only on the island of Madagascar. The other type, D. f. potior, is a bit bigger and lives on the Comoro Islands. You can find crested drongos in forests, both dry and wet, and in open grassy areas. They are quite common, so experts say they are a "least concern" species.
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What's in a Name?
The crested drongo got its scientific name, Lanius forficatus, from a famous Swedish scientist named Carl Linnaeus in 1766. The word forficatus means "scissor-shaped" in Latin, which describes its forked tail.
Today, this bird is part of the Dicrurus group, which was named by a French bird expert, Louis Pierre Vieillot, in 1816. The common name "drongo" actually comes from a word in the Malagasy language, spoken in Madagascar.
Different Types of Crested Drongos
There are two recognized types, or subspecies, of the crested drongo:
- D. f. forficatus (Linnaeus, 1766) – This type lives in Madagascar and nearby small islands.
- D. f. potior (Bangs & T E Penard, 1922) – This type is found only on the island of Anjouan in the Comoros.
What Does It Look Like?
Both male and female adult crested drongos are mostly black. They have a beautiful blue-green shimmer on their feathers. The most noticeable features are the long feathers on their forehead, which form a distinctive crest. Their tail is also easy to spot because it's deeply forked, like a pair of open scissors. The D. f. potior subspecies is generally larger and has wider tail feathers than the Madagascar type.
Where Do They Live?
The main type of crested drongo, D. f. forficatus, is found all over Madagascar. You can also see them on some of the bigger islands close to Madagascar, like Nosy-Bé. The other type, Dicrurus forficatus potior, lives only on the Comoro Islands.
These birds like to live in different kinds of places. Their natural habitats include dry tropical forests, moist lowland forests, and open savannas. They usually live in areas that are below 1,000 meters in height.
Images for kids
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With a frog, Mantadia National Park, Madagascar
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With an insect
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Egg
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feeding chicks, Analamazaotra Special Reserve
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