Black Drongo / Dicrurus macrocercus

Black Drongo, Visakhapatnam

Black Drongo ( Ardeola grayii  ) can be easily recognisable by the white spot near its beak.   is a wholly black bird with a distinctive forked tail of 28 cm it is also know for its aggressive behaviour towards much larger birds . Play behaviour has been observed with birds dropping a leaf in the air and catching it in mid air and these may possibly help young birds acquire aerobatic skills.

Black Drongo can often be seen  perched on telegraph wires and other points of vantage from where it swoops down to catch insects particularly grasshoppers.