Mayotte drongo

Mayotte drongo
Illustration of a bkack bird with a long forked tail, perched on a branch
Photo of a black bird perched in a forest
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Dicruridae
Genus: Dicrurus
Species:
D. waldenii
Binomial name
Dicrurus waldenii
Schlegel, 1865
Approximate distribution map
  Year-round
Synonyms[2]

Buchanga waldeni Schlegel, H

The Mayotte drongo (Dicrurus waldenii) is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It is endemic to Mayotte.

The Mayotte drongo is a black bird with red eyes. It feeds on insects, and nests from September to February.

The species is threatened by habitat loss.

Habitat

Its natural habitats are the margins of evergreen forests, secondary forests, thickets, and plantations. It is also present in coastal mangroves and woodlands. The species prefers high altitude habitats.[1]

Description

The Mayotte drongo is a glossy-black bird, with a long forked tail, and red eyes.[3]

Ecology

The drongo feeds on insects, including cicadas. It may also feed on small vertebrates.[1]

Behaviour

The Mayotte drongo perches in the open, and swoops to catch insects in flight. Its song, which is often a duet, is a sequence of whistles, creaks, and rasps.[3]

The Mayotte drongo nests between September and February. It builds cup-shaped nests in a variety of tree species. The female lays one to three eggs, which hatch after nineteen to twenty-one days. Juveniles fledge after around three weeks, and are dependent for around a month after fledging.[1]

Conservation

The Mayotte drongo is threatened by habitat loss, caused by deforestation. The species may also be threatened by introduced predators. The population is estimated at around 5,000 individuals.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 BirdLife International (2016). "Dicrurus waldenii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016 e.T22706957A94099076. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22706957A94099076.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Dicrurus waldenii Schlegel, 1865". CatalogueOfLife.org. Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Mayotte Drongo". EBird.org. Cornell University. Retrieved 30 May 2026.