Greater Racket Tailed Drongo (6862000956)

Description:

Description: SAW THIS GUY ALONG WITH ANOTHER FROLICKING AROUND IN MY GARDEN ALONG WITH SOME COMMON THRUSH. THE THRUSH USED TO SCARE UP INSECTS WHILE FORAGING AND THESE TWO WOULD THEN LATCH ON. The Greater Racket Tailed Drongo, (Dicrurus Paradiseus), is a medium-sized Asian bird which is distinctive in having elongated outer tail feathers with webbing restricted to the tips. They are placed along with other drongos in the family Dicruridae. They are conspicuous in the forest habitats often perching in the open and by attracting attention with a wide range of loud calls that include perfect imitations of many other birds. It has been suggested that these imitations may help in the formation of mixed-species foraging flocks, a feature seen in forest bird communities where many insect feeders forage together. These drongos will sometimes steal insect prey caught or disturbed by other foragers in the flock. In most of its range in Asia, this is the largest of the drongo species and is readily identifiable by the distinctive tail rackets and the crest of curled feather that begin in front of the face above the beak and along the crown to varying extents according to the subspecies. The tail with twirled rackets is distinctive and in flight it can appear as if two large bees were chasing a black bird. Date: 12 March 2012, 11:48. Source: Greater Racket Tailed Drongo. Author: Antony Grossy from Conoor, Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu State, India, India. Camera location10° 05′ 09.17″ N, 76° 16′ 21.07″ E View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap 10.085880; 76.272519.