The Fork-tailed Drongo is a fearless, intelligent, all-black African bird famous for its incredible vocal mimicry, using false alarm calls to trick other animals into dropping food for theft (kleptoparasitism). They are aggressive, follow large animals for insects, build cup nests in trees, and are common in woodlands and savannas, acting as sentinels in mixed-species flocks.
Key Facts
Appearance: Entirely black with a glossy blue/green sheen in sunlight, a deeply forked tail, and distinct red eyes in adults.
Diet: Primarily insects (termites, moths, beetles) caught in flight (flycatching) or from the ground, but also nectar, small vertebrates, and even ectoparasites off mammals.
Habitat: Common across Africa, in savannas, woodlands, and forest edges, often near large herbivores.
Behavior:
Mimicry: Masters of vocal mimicry, copying other birds and mammals, including mechanical sounds.
Kleptoparasitism: Mimic predator calls to scare other birds into dropping food, which they then steal.
Aggression: Known bullies, fearless, and will mob predators like birds of prey and leopards.
Foraging: Follow other animals (like elephants or buffalos) to catch insects stirred up by them.
Nesting: Build saucer-shaped nests high in trees from plant material, cobwebs, and lichen.
Ecological Role: Act as sentinels in mixed-species flocks, warning others of danger (even if they're faking).
Interesting Behaviors
They're so good at mimicry that scientists study how they deceive others for food.
They use their forked tail for precise flight control while hunting.
They are attracted to bush fires to catch insects flushed out by the flames.