drongo

The genus Dicrurus was introduced by French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot for the drongos in 1816.{{cite book | last=Vieillot | first=Louis Pierre | author-link=Louis Pierre Vieillot | title=Analyse d'Une Nouvelle Ornithologie Élémentaire | publisher=Deterville/self | year=1816 | location=Paris | page=41 | language=fr| url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k9745205x/f47.image }} The type species was subsequently designated as the balicassiao (Dicrurus balicassius) by English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1841.{{ cite book | last=Gray | author-link=George Robert Gray | year=1841 | title=A List of the Genera of Birds : with their Synonyma and an Indication of the Typical Species of Each Genus | edition=2nd | place=London | publisher= R. and J.E. Taylor | page=47 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14050278 }}{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Greenway | editor2-first=James C. Jr | year=1962 | title=Check-list of birds of the world | volume=15 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=138 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14485511 }} The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek words dikros "forked" and oura "tail".{{cite web | last=Jobling | first=J.A. | year=2018 | title= Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology | editor1-last=del Hoyo | editor1-first=J. | editor2-last=Elliott | editor2-first=A. | editor3-last=Sargatal | editor3-first=J. | editor4-last=Christie | editor4-first=D.A. | editor5-last=de Juana | editor5-first=E. | work=Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive | publisher=Lynx Edicions | url=https://www.hbw.com/dictionary/key-to-scientific-names-in-ornithology?name=Dicrurus | access-date=29 March 2018 }} "Drongo" is originally from the indigenous language of Madagascar, where it refers to the crested drongo; it is now used for all members of the family.{{cite book|author=Lindsey, Terence|title=Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds|publisher=Merehurst Press|year=1991|isbn=1-85391-186-0|editor=Forshaw, Joseph|location=London|pages=223–224}}

This family now includes only the genus Dicrurus, although Christidis and Boles (2007) expanded the family to include the subfamilies Rhipidurinae (Australasian fantails), Monarchinae (monarch and paradise flycatchers), and Grallininae (magpie larks).Christidis, Les; Walter Boles (2008) Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Csiro Publishing, Australia. p. 174

The family was formerly treated as having two genera, Chaetorhynchus and Dicrurus. The genus Chaetorhynchus contains a single species, the New Guinea-endemic C. papuensis. On the basis of both morphological and genetic differences, it is now placed with the fantails (Rhipiduridae) and renamed from the pygmy drongo to the drongo fantail.{{cite journal|last1=Irested|first1=Martin|year=2009|title=The systematic affinity of the enigmatic Lamprolia victoriae (Aves: Passeriformes)—An example of avian dispersal between New Guinea and Fiji over Miocene intermittent land bridges? |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|last2=Fuchs |first2=J |last3=Jønsson |first3=KA |last4=Ohlson |first4=JI |last5=Pasquet |first5=E |first6=Per G.P. |last6=Ericson|volume=48|issue=3|pages=1218–1222 |url=http://www.nrm.se/download/18.7d9d550411abf68c801800012645/Irestedt%2Bet%2Bal%2BLamprolia.pdf|pmid=18620871|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2008.05.038}}

The genus Dicrurus contains 28 species:{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | year=2018 | title=Orioles, drongos, fantails | work=World Bird List Version 8.1 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/orioles/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=29 March 2018 }}

The family Dicruridae is most likely of Indo-Malayan origin, with a colonization of Africa about 15 million years ago (Mya). Dispersal across the Wallace Line into Australasia is estimated to have been more recent, around 6 Mya.{{cite journal | last1 = Pasquet | first1 = Eric | last2 = Pons | first2 = Jean-Marc | last3 = Fuchs | first3 = Jerome | last4 = Cruaud | first4 = Corinne | last5 = Bretagnolle | first5 = Vincent | year = 2007 | title = Evolutionary history and biogeography of the drongos (Dicruridae), a tropical Old World clade of corvoid passerines | journal = Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume = 45 | issue = 1| pages = 158–167 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2007.03.010| pmid = 17468015 | bibcode = 2007MolPE..45..158P }}

File:Bronzed Drongo I IMG 1682.jpg (Dicrurus aeneus) in India]]

These insectivorous birds are usually found in open forests or bush. Most are black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long, forked tails; some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright whilst perched, like a shrike. They flycatch or take prey from the ground. Some drongos, especially the greater racket-tailed drongo, are noted for their ability to mimic other birds and even mammals.

Two to four eggs are laid in a nest high in a tree. Despite their small size, they are aggressive and fearless, and will attack much larger species if their nests or young are threatened.

Several species of animals and birds respond to drongos' alarm calls, which often warn of the presence of a predator. Fork-tailed drongos in the Kalahari Desert use alarm calls in the absence of a predator to cause animals to flee and abandon food, which they eat, getting up to 23% of their food this way. They not only use their own alarm calls, but also imitate those of many species, either their victim's or that of another species to which the victim responds. If the call of one species is not effective, perhaps because of habituation, the drongo may try another; 51 different calls are known to be imitated. In one test on pied babblers, the babbler ignored an alarm call repeated three times when no danger was present, but continued to respond to different calls. Researchers have considered the possibility that these drongos possess theory of mind, not fully shown in any animal other than humans.{{cite journal | doi = 10.1126/science.1249723 | pmid=24786078 | title=Deception by flexible alarm mimicry in an African bird | journal=Science | date=2014 | volume=344 | issue=6183 | pages=513–516 | first=T.P. | last=Flower | bibcode=2014Sci...344..513F }}[https://web.archive.org/web/20140502221033/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/05/140501-drongo-kalahari-desert-meerkat-mimicry-science/ National Geographic: African Bird Shouts False Alarms to Deceive and Steal, Study Shows Drongos in the Kalahari are masters of deception, 1 May 2014]{{ cite journal | last=Flower | first=T. | year=2010 | title=Fork-tailed drongos use deceptive mimicked alarm calls to steal food | journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B | volume=278 | issue=1711 | pages=1548–1555 | doi=10.1098/rspb.2010.1932 | pmid=21047861 | doi-access=free | pmc=3081750 }}

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, D. bracteatus) in the 1920s that never won despite many places. The word also has been frequently used among friends and can be used in a casual or serious tone.{{ cite book | last=Wannan | first=Bill | year=1979 | orig-year=1970 | chapter=Drongo | title=Australian Folklore | publisher=Lansdowne Press | isbn=0-7018-1309-1 | page=200}}{{cite web |url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/drongo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208033852/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/drongo |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 8, 2017 |title=Drongo |work=Oxford Dictionary |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=27 February 2017}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129728613 |title=Career of Drongo |newspaper=The News (Adelaide) |volume=IV |issue=568 |location=South Australia |date=20 May 1925 |access-date=14 February 2018 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}

Greater-racket-tailed-drongo-khao-yai.webm|A greater racket-tailed drongo preening at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

A flying greater racket-tailed drongo.jpg|A greater racket-tailed drongo visiting Erythrina flowers at Satchari National Park in Bangladesh

Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo at nest - Kang Kra Chan - Thailand S4E4944 (14278976543) (2).jpg|A lesser racket-tailed drongo incubating at Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand

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{{cite book | title = Cassell's Dictionary of Slang | first = Jonathon | last = Green | year = 2005 | location = London, UK | publisher = Orion Publishing Group | page = 450 | isbn = 978-0-304-36636-1 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=5GpLcC4a5fAC&pg=PA450}}

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• {{ cite journal | last=Clancey | first=P.A. | year=1976 | title=Miscellaneous taxonomic notes on African birds XLIV | journal=Durban Museum Novitates | volume=11 | issue=4 | pages=85–105 [88–101] | url=https://journals.co.za/doi/10.10520/AJA0012723X_2233 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029080459/https://journals.co.za/content/admn/11/4/AJA0012723X_2233 | archive-date=29 October 2020 |url-status=live}}
• {{cite journal|last=Vaurie | first=C. | year=1949|title= A revision of the bird family Dicruridae|journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |volume= 93|pages=203–342 |hdl=2246/1240}}

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{{Wiktionary|drongo}}

• [http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/drongos-dicruridae Drongo videos] on the Internet Bird Collection

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Category:Australian slang