Andaman Drongo

Overview

The Andaman Drongo (Dicrurus andamanensis) is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae that is endemic to the Andaman Islands of the Indian Ocean. It comprises two subspecies, with the nominate race distributed across the main islands of the archipelago and the dicruriformis race found on Great Coco Island and Table Island in the north.

Identification

• Males exhibit black plumage with a green sheen, contrasting brownish primaries, and silvery brown wing-linings with white-tipped axillaries and underwing-coverts.
• Both sexes possess distinctive 2-centimetre-long hairy filaments and feathers on each side of the neck, though females have a less pronounced forked tail and are smaller than males.
• The bird ranges from 28–29 cm in length for the nominate subspecies to 35 cm for the larger dicruriformis subspecies.
• Juveniles display a browner, less glossy appearance with a square-ended tail and lack the frontal filaments seen in adults.

Habitat

Found exclusively in the lush tropical forests of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, the species inhabits subtropical or tropical moist lowland and montane forests. It primarily occupies the mid to upper canopy levels of evergreen and semi-evergreen forests characterised by diverse understory, lianas, and epiphytic plants.

Diet

The Andaman Drongo feeds mainly on insects such as dragonflies, butterflies, and beetles, as well as spiders and other small arthropods. It is known for acrobatic aerial foraging within its forest habitat.

Did you know?

The Andaman Drongo was formerly classified as a subspecies of the black drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus), but genetic research by Dr. S. Krishnan published in 2015 firmly established it as a distinct species.