FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Fork-tailed drongo, Dicrurus adsimilis belong to the family of Dicruridae. These birds are found mainly in the South of Africa and live in an extensive range of habitats like forests, bush, farmlands, gardens, and parks. They make their nest 13-16 ft (4-5 m) above the ground. The nest is placed on a forked region of a tree and is made of tree leaves, twigs, and spider webs. This Drongo bird species is extremely territorial about their nest in nature. The breeding pairs feed the nestlings till they ready to find their own prey. This bird species often sit upright on trees and hunt. If the young are threatened, they drive the predator away by a process called mobbing. Males have glossy black plumage and a fork-shaped tail, which is how they get their name. Females don't have as glossy feathers as males. This is mainly how the identification between them takes place. These wondrous birds of the world also have a strong black bill and red-colored eyes. The wings have a lighter shade than their tail and body. Drongo the fork-tailed bird has unique mimicking features. They are known to make deceptive calls in order to distract other animals from their prey. The calls made by Fork-tailed Drongo, meerkat can be so identical that they often get confused and abandon their prey.
For more relatable content, check out these swallow-tailed kite facts and brant facts for kids.
Fork-tailed drongo is a kind of bird.
Fork-tailed drongo belongs to the class called Aves.
The exact number of these drongos has not been listed.
These fork-tailed drongo living in Sahara desert, are found predominantly in South Africa.
Fork-tailed drongo, Dicrurus adsimilis live in forest and bush areas, farmlands with scattered trees, savanna woodlands, in tropical, temperate regions. They favor arid climates. These birds are also spotted in gardens and parks.
Fork-tailed drongos are usually solitary birds. They are however observed in pairs during the breeding season.
There is no exact data available on how long a fork-tailed drongo lives.
Just like the house wren and black vultures, these black-colored drongo, the fork-tailed bird, are monogamous birds. The breeding season of these birds lasts from January till August. These birds build cup-shaped nests with thin walls, made of leaves, twigs, and spider web strands. The nests are placed 13-16 ft (4-5 m) above the ground, like a hammock un between the forked tree. Females lay around 2-4 eggs during this time. The eggs can have a range of different colors. The incubation period lasts for around 16-22 days. The nest or young ones are fed by both males and females after birth. These birds are aggressive and fearless in nature and even attacks larger birds if they feel the young birds are threatened. When the young are threatened, in the presence of a predator nearby, they start mobbing. In this method, they surround the predator and attack to drive it off. These birds are also known to host the birds of two species of cuckoos, namely the Jacobian and African cuckoos.
Fork-tailed drongos are given the status of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. These birds have a large distribution and the population has remained stable. Hence, no special conservation measures have been undertaken to preserve these birds.
Males have glossy, black plumage. The wings are lighter in color. The female is entirely black but is less glossy than males. This is how the identification between the male and female species is made. These birds have relatively large heads and smaller legs. They have a forked tail that is curved on the outside. They also have red eyes and strong bill. These medium-sized birds have fine nasal and rictal bristles. The flight feathers are asymmetrical in shape but are paired in a synchronized and symmetric way. These feathers are curved around the edges.
Drongos, Dicrurus adsimilis, are very adorable to look at. This aggressive and fearless bird species has a forked tail and black-colored bill. This primarily adds to its cuteness factor.
The fork-tailed drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis) communicate with each other by making various kinds of calls. These birds often mimic different kinds of alarm calls in order to steal food from other animals. They are especially known to mimic meerkats and babblers. The call of this bird species is called metallic bird strink. These birds are also known to make false alarm calls to leopards and other animals in order to annoy them. They also make their own calls, specific to their own species to communicate with each other. They also make unmelodic and harsh noises while communicating with each other.
The drongo species are medium-sized. They are 8.6-9.8 in (22-25 cm) in length.
The average weight of this bird species is around 1.4-1.7 oz (40-50 g).
No specific names have been given to the male and female birds of this species.
Nestlings or young ones of this bird species is called chicks or nestlings.
The bird species from South Africa, the drongo, Dicrurus adsimilis are omnivorous in nature. They hunt while sitting upright on a perch. They catch their prey, like insects, fish while they are in flight. They are also known to eat seeds, nectar, and fruits in the arid region. These birds are also kleptoparasites meaning they steal food from other animals by mimicking false alarm calls of meerkats. Often these birds are seen sitting on tree perch, above a foraging mongoose, waiting to snatch away their hard-earned food whenever they get a chance. These birds are also known to hunt small invertebrates and vertebrates. Their food consists of a variety of insects like bees, termites, beetle larvae, moths, ticks, and caterpillars. They also hunt lizards, and fish at times.
These wondrous birds of the world are not known to be poisonous.
These drongo birds are aggressive birds, fighting with much larger animals to keep them out of their territory. Human beings haven't been able to domesticate these birds as of yet. Their hostile behavior makes it difficult to keep them as pets.
These unique birds of the world are also known as kleptoparasites. This means they live a life where they rob food from other mammals by making loud deceptive calls, by mimicking the calls of various mammals.
These black drongos, from the South of Africa, got their name based on the shape of its tail. They have a fork-shaped tail which is very unique of its species.
Fork-tailed drongo, cuckoo are very similar looking. Often they host the eggs of cuckoos.
These drongos are mainly found in the South of Africa and have made several life adaptations to survive. Even though these folks are predominantly carnivorous, they also survive on nectar and seeds in difficult situations.
Fork-tailed drongo, belonging to the family of Dicruridae, living in forests, sits very upright and hunts flying insects. They also make cup-shaped nests and the breeding pairs fight with its life to protect their nestlings from predator attacks
This unique black-colored bird of the world uses mimicry to steal food from other animals. They make false alarm calls by following them around. As soon as they spot another animal hunting down prey, by mimicking the calls, they drop their food and flee. This is how they hunt the majority of their food.
These black-feathered bird species have made several modifications to adapt and survive. Even though these animals are carnivorous in nature, they often eat foods that range from nectar to seeds when they are in Arid regions.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Hawaiian hawk facts and griffon vulture facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable fork tailed drongo coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.