Dicrurus adsimilis
One of our most cosmopolitan and abundant bird species, the Fork-tailed Drongo inhabits a wide range of habitats ranging from grasslands with a sprinkling of trees to forest edges, favoring open woodlands and savannas. It has also adapted very well to exotic plantations, suburban parks and gardens. They feed mainly on insects and other invertebrates, but have also been noted feeding on small lizards, fish, eggs and birds. Adults measure ± 25cm long and weigh around 44g.
Fork-tailed Drongos are feisty birds, often mobbing large raptors and mammalian predators much bigger than themselves. They’re often seen at veld fires catching insects trying to escape the flames, or following large mammals around to catch the insects disturbed into flight while the big herbivores are moving around – even using the backs of these animals as perches from which to launch an attack. Fork-tailed Drongos are excellent mimics – they will even imitate the alarm calls of other birds or small carnivores, like meerkats, to startle them into dropping whatever food they might have found in order to steal it.
Fork-tailed Drongos form monogamous pairs. The breeding season in this species spans spring and summer. Their nests are small cups built of fine plant material and spiderweb, usually suspended like a hammock between two twigs in a tree or shrub. Clutches of 2-5 eggs are incubated by both parents for between 2 and 3 weeks, with the chicks leaving the nest around 3 weeks after hatching.
The Fork-tailed Drongo is very widely distributed over sub-Saharan Africa and is listed as being of least concern by the IUCN. In South Africa they can be seen in all provinces, avoiding only the mostly treeless central grasslands and the western arid scrublands.
DeWetsWild 
Slim kind… sit! 😲😁
Uitgeslape knapies hierdie!
Ek laaik hulle!! 🤣😃
So these are the little birds often seen on the backs of giraffes?
I love that they are a bit badass – scaring other animals/birds into dropping their food for the steal. hehehe! Well played, little one 🙂
Badass is an excellent description, Joanne!
Whenever you see a little bird perched on a big animal in the African savanna it would usually be either this guy or one of the oxpeckers: https://dewetswild.com/tag/red-billed-oxpecker/
I love wings on the photo of the little bird dropping in for a drink – you have inspired me to go out and do some bird-watching!
Thank you so much, and what a rewarding pastime bird-watching is!
What’s a gorgeous little one 😍
Dashing in his tux!
Feisty and very handsome too!
Also very true, thanks Carol!
I like the feistiness of the Drongo. It would give much needed competition to our crows over here.
And they definitely will, Hien. We’ve even seen them tangle with Martial Eagles, Africa’s biggest, so crows will not deter them in the least.
They certainly have a tail to tell about their identity!
It must have been a naturalist with a keen eye for detail that gave them their name… 😀
Incredible perception!
😀
Sounds like feisty is a good description!
Oh absolutely P.J.B!
Ek het hulle nog nie hier by ons aan die Weskus gesien nie. Was baie van hulle in Eshowe
Die droogste dele aan ons Weskus is juis die deel van die land waar hulle nie regtig tuis is nie – ek dink daar is nie genoeg uitkykposte na hul sin nie.
Dis waar, te min bome hier
Dis nou voëltjies met persoonlikheid! Ek geniet dit as hulle die roofvoëls so in die lug aanval en rondjaag. Verder maak hulle vir my die mooiste geluide en dis sommer pret om hulle dop te hou. Pragtige foto’s, Dries!
En hulle is gewoonlik ook een van die eerste voels wat n mens aftik as mens die Wildtuin inry!
Ja, dis waar! Hulle fotografeer ook moeilik omdat hulle so swart is. Ek het nog nie een afgeneem nie, kan jy glo? Mens neem ook mos nie mossies en duiwe af nie, seker oor hulle so algemeen is.😃
😀
Die arme rooibokkies het dieselfde klagte!
Maar ‘n rooibokkie maak ‘n pragtige foto!
These birds provide endless entertainment in our garden!
I bet you are very familiar with all their unique character-traits, Anne!
How bold. 🙂
Very!
I like that name and they definitely look like they have attitudes. 🙂
janet
Very confident birds these, Janet!