Bronzed Drongo (Dicrurus aeneus)
Order: PASSERIFORMES
Family: DICRURIDAE Drongos
Scientific name: Dicrurus aeneus
English name: Bronzed Drongo
Characteristic: Size 23 cm. Our smallest drongo with black plumage adorned at hindneck and upper breast with glossy greenish blue spangles; tail fork relatively deep as that of Black Drongo, but much smaller in overall sizes
Distribution: India, Southern China, Southeast Asia, Hainan, Taiwan, Sumatra and Borneo.
Habitat: Dwells in dry dipterocarp forest, mixed deciduous forest, moist evergreen forest, dry evergreen forest, hill evergreen forest, pine forest and secondary growths, from the plain to the 2,000 m. altitude. It can be found in all forest types in Sakaerat area, but more frequently seen in the dry dipterocarp forest.
Habit: Observed singly, in pairs or in small flocks, looking for food among high branches. Diets include insects caught mostly in mid air and nectar. As usual for a drongo, it is an aggressive on fiercely defending its territory, and always sticking to that particular spot at every survey trial. It breeds between March to May, and builds a shallow cup-shaped nest directly situating on the branch, or hanging to the side of branch, of considerable heights. It lays a clutch of 3-4 eggs of variable colour shades and will incubate them for 13-14 days.
Status: A commonly encountered resident in Sakaerat forest and with moderate local population. It has been already protected by law.
