Ashy Drongo
Dicrurus leucophaeus
The Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus) is a common drongo found in 28 countries, weighing about 38 g. The ashy drongo is a species of bird in the drongo family Dicruridae.
About the Ashy Drongo
The ashy drongo is a species of bird in the drongo family Dicruridae. It is found widely distributed across eastern and Southeast Asia, with several populations that vary in the shade of grey, migration patterns and in the size or presence of white patches around the eye.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The adult ashy drongo is mainly dark grey, and the tail is long and deeply forked, There are a number of subspecies varying in the shade of the grey plumage. Some subspecies have white markings on the head. Young birds are dull brownish grey. Subspecies longicaudatus of India (which includes beavani of the Himalayas that winters on the peninsula, with one breeding population in central India that Vaurie separates as longicaudatus in the restricted sense) is very dark and almost like the black drongo although this bird is slimmer and has a somewhat longer and less-splayed tail.
What the Ashy Drongo sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, October, November, December, with peak activity in February. It is a winter visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Ashy Drongo?
- The adult ashy drongo is mainly dark grey, and the tail is long and deeply forked, There are a number of subspecies varying in the shade of the grey plumage. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Ashy Drongo?
- The Ashy Drongo is a small sized bird weighing about 38 g.
- Where can you see an Ashy Drongo?
- The Ashy Drongo occurs in 28 countries, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal and Vietnam.
- What does an Ashy Drongo sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Ashy Drongo on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to an Ashy Drongo?
- The Ashy Drongo is most easily confused with the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, the Fork-tailed Drongo and the Bronzed Drongo.
- Is the Ashy Drongo endangered?
- The Ashy Drongo is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Ashy Drongo for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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