White-bellied Drongo
Dicrurus caerulescens
The White-bellied Drongo (Dicrurus caerulescens) is a uncommon drongo found in 4 countries, weighing about 40 g. The white-bellied drongo is a species of drongo found across the Indian Subcontinent.
About the White-bellied Drongo
The white-bellied drongo is a species of drongo found across the Indian Subcontinent. Like other members of the family Dicruridae, they are insectivorous and mainly black in colour, but with a white belly and vent. Young birds are, however, all black and may be confused with the black drongo, which is smaller and more compact in appearance. The subspecies found in Sri Lanka has white restricted to the vent.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This drongo is black without any glossy feathers on the upperside and greyish on the throat and breast, while the belly and vent are entirely white in the Indian form which is the nominate subspecies. The fork of the tail is less deep than in the black drongo which is often seen in the same habitats. Young black drongos can have a lot of white on the underside but it is usually scaly in appearance. The Sri Lankan forms insularis of the northern dry zone and leucopygialis of the southern wet zone have the white restricted to the vent.
Where it lives
When to see it
The White-bellied Drongo can be seen all year round, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a White-bellied Drongo?
- This drongo is black without any glossy feathers on the upperside and greyish on the throat and breast, while the belly and vent are entirely white in the Indian form which is the nominate subspecies. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a White-bellied Drongo?
- The White-bellied Drongo is a small sized bird weighing about 40 g.
- Where can you see a White-bellied Drongo?
- The White-bellied Drongo occurs in 4 countries, including India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.
- What birds look similar to a White-bellied Drongo?
- The White-bellied Drongo is most easily confused with the Hair-crested Drongo, the Spangled Drongo and the Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo.
- Is the White-bellied Drongo endangered?
- The White-bellied Drongo is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the White-bellied Drongo for real
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