Fork-tailed drongo-cuckoo

Surniculus dicruroides

Photo by Vijay Ismavel (Flickr)

Common name:
fork-tailed drongo-cuckoo (en); cuco-drongo-de-cauda-forcada (pt): surnicou à queue fourchue (fr); cuclillo-drongo de cola furcada (es); gabelschwanz-drongokuckuck (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae

Range:
This species breeds in most of India, with the exception of the north-western part of the country, and through Nepal and Bangladesh into northern Myanmar, northern Vietnam and southern China. The eastern populations migrate south to winter in Indochina and western Indonesia.

Size:
This species are about 25 cm long and weigh around 35 g.

Habitat:
The fork-tailed drongo is found in moist tropical forests, mangroves, dry tropical scrublands and rural gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.100 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects and other arthropods, and possibly also some fruits.

Breeding:
There is no available information on the reproduction of this species.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range but the population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.