The Fork-tailed Drongo is a widespread and common African bird, easily recognized by its entirely black, glossy plumage and a distinctly long, deeply forked tail. It is an opportunistic and fearless insectivore, often seen perched conspicuously in open habitats. Known for its aggressive territorial behavior and varied calls.
Where to spot
Widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, found in a diverse range of habitats including savannas, woodlands, farmlands, urban parks, and gardens. It prefers open or semi-open areas with scattered trees.
How to spot
Look for its uniform glossy black plumage and its characteristic long, deeply forked tail. It often perches prominently on wires, fences, or exposed branches. Listen for its loud, harsh, and highly variable calls, which include many mimicked sounds.
When to spot
Active throughout the day, observable year-round as it is a resident species.
Where to spot
Widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, found in a diverse range of habitats including savannas, woodlands, farmlands, urban parks, and gardens. It prefers open or semi-open areas with scattered trees.
How to spot
Look for its uniform glossy black plumage and its characteristic long, deeply forked tail. It often perches prominently on wires, fences, or exposed branches. Listen for its loud, harsh, and highly variable calls, which include many mimicked sounds.
When to spot
Active throughout the day, observable year-round as it is a resident species.
Credits:
Wikimedia Commons
Credits:
Wikimedia Commons
Credits:
Wikimedia Commons
Credits:
Wikimedia Commons
Credits:
Wikimedia Commons
Credits:
Wikimedia Commons
Credits:
Wikimedia Commons
Credits:
Wikimedia Commons
The Fork-tailed Drongo is a master mimic, capable of imitating the alarm calls of various other bird species and even meerkats, often using these imitations to scare away predators or steal food from other animals.
We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. Essential cookies are necessary for basic functionality, while analytical cookies help us understand how visitors use our website so we can improve it.
Cookie Preferences
Customize your privacy settings
Choose which cookies you want to allow. Necessary cookies are always enabled for the basic functionality of the website. You can always change your preferences later via the cookie settings in the footer.
Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for the website to function properly and cannot be disabled.
Analytics Cookies
Help us understand how visitors use our website, so we can improve it.