White-bellied Drongo    Dicrurus caerulescens

Etymology:

• Dicrurus : Greek word dikros – forked; ouros –tailed { Forked tailed} : dikros – forked; ouros –tailed   { Forked tailed}

• Caerulescens : Latin word for “Bluish”

Vernacular name:   Cachar: Daotukunt laima, Lepcha: Phoochong-pho, Ka-er, Bhutia: Pumok, Nepal: Tusal, Hindi: Pattidar Fakhta.

Distribution in India: Resident of Himalayas

Description:  Size of 24 cm; Weight of 39–41 g. The nominate race has black and unglossed frontal band and lores, rest of head, throat and upper breast are varying from smoky blue-grey to brownish-grey. It is white from lower breast and flanks to undertail-coverts. The upperparts are blackish, dully glossed slate-grey to indigo. The tail is black, fairly long and slender with rather deep fork, end of outer rectrices curving outwards. The iris is brownish-red; bill and legs are black. Both the sexes are similar in plumage, male a little larger than female. The juvenile is dark brown above, brown on throat and breast with less visible distinction from white belly, traces of white barring on breast, flanks, axillaries and underwing-coverts. The first-winter is similar, but with slate-grey gloss above.

Habitat: It is found in edges of paths and shady glades in dry and moist deciduous and bamboo forests, wooded compounds in inhabited rural areas, tea or rubber plantations. During breeding it is seen up to 2000 m along Himalayas, to 1500 m in S India.

Food Habits: It eats winged insects such as crickets and grasshoppers, moths, termites, sometimes takes small birds. It is also fond of nectar thereby playing an evident role in pollination. It usually perches upright on branch or treetop, from which it flies out, making short looping sallies, moving with agility, and snapping up prey in the bill or claws; returns again and again to same perch or one very near. Small birds are caught with claws in mid-air. Occasionally pirates food from other birds, either in surprise attack or after dogged pursuit. It is highly crepuscular.

 Breeding Habits: They  breed in Mar–Jun . They are Territorial; may attack crows, hawks or other aerial predators to drive them away from neighbourhood of nest-site. The nest is built by both sexes. The nest is a cup of roots, grasses and twigs, bound . They lay a clutch of 2 – 3 eggs, . The eggs are  pale cream or yellowish-salmon to mostly warm salmon-pink (never white), spotted with blackish-purple or reddish-brown. The incubation of eggs and tending of chicks is done by both sexes.