Dicruridae

A drongo is a member of the family Dicruridae, passerine birds of the Old World tropics comprising 28 species placed in the single genus Dicrurus. Drongos are predominantly black or dark grey, with forked tails that in some Asian species carry elaborate ornamentation, short legs and an upright perching posture, and they feed mainly on insects and small birds caught in flight or on the ground. Several species are skilled mimics; the fork-tailed drongo notably uses deceptive alarm calls to frighten other animals into abandoning food, which the drongo then eats, a strategy that can supply up to 23 percent of its diet. The family is thought to have originated in the Indo-Malayan region, reaching Africa around 15 million years ago and Australasia around 6 million years ago.