Adult - the most devious of all mimics. All images copyright Simply Birding.
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis- Habitat: Woodland, savanna and plantations.
- Diet: Mainly insect but many small vertebrates too. Also scavenges.
- Status: Common resident.
- Calls: Song A wide range of scratchy and squeaky sounds. Mimics many species. Alarm call Prefers to mimic other species alarm calls.
- Similar looking: Square-tailed Drongo and best separated on flight feather colour. Southern Black Flycatcher has a dark eye, a square tail with no fork and a different head shape. Black Cuckooshrike but behaviour separates as well as the yellow gape and shoulder of the Cuckooshrike.
- Similar sounding: Square-tailed Drongo has a very similar call and also mimics.
Fun facts
A masterful mimic, using fake alarm calls to scare other animals into dropping food, which the drongo then steals.
ID pitfalls
It is very difficult to reliably separate from Square-tailed Drongo on tail fork shape. Fork-tailed Drongo has pale flight feathers compared to Square-tailed. There is some habitat overlap but Fork-tailed does not occupy dense evergreen forest. Beware of the dark eye alone as a feature for separating from Southern Black Flycatcher as young Drongos also have a dark eye.
Where to find one
Common throughout its range where it perches openly, often on the tops of bushes and trees.