drongo

drongo¹

/drong"goh/, n., pl. drongos.

any passerine bird of the family Dicruridae, of Africa, Asia, and Australia, the several species usually having black plumage and long, forked tails.

[1835-45; < Malagasy]

drongo²

/drong"goh/, n., pl. drongos. Australian Slang.

a stupid or slow-witted person; simpleton.

[1920-25; prob. to be identified with DRONGO¹, as a name for the Australian bird Dicrurus bracteata; though often popularly alleged to have originated from the name of an unsuccessful racehorse of the 1920s]

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▪ bird

      any of 20 species of Old World woodland birds constituting the family Dicruridae (order Passeriformes). Drongos frequently attack much larger birds (e.g., hawks and crows) that might hurt their eggs or young; innocuous birds (such as doves and orioles) nest near drongos to gain protection.

      Most drongos are 18 to 63.5 cm (7 to 25 inches) long and glossy black, sometimes with white on the head or underparts (sexes alike); the eyes, in most, are fiery red. Some are crested or have head plumes, and the tail is usually long and forked, with out-turned corners. The tail of the Southeast Asian racket-tailed drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus) bears 30-centimetre (12-inch) “wires”—outer feathers that are unbranched for most of their length and carry rather large vanes at the ends.

      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. The nest is a flimsy basket that seems too small for the brooding bird.

      One of the most common birds of southern Asia is the 33-centimetre black drongo (D. macrocercus), also called king crow because it can intimidate the true crow. The 24-centimetre African drongo (D. adsimilis; perhaps the same as D. macrocercus) is common throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

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