Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spangled Drongo
Dicrurus bracteatus
Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 9 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) is a member of the Dicruridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 85.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Dicruridae Drongos
- Genus Dicrurus
- Species bracteatus
Where it lives
Moluccas, New Guinea region, northern, eastern Australia, Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is.
Quick facts
- Weight
- 85.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Dicruridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spangled Drongo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Spangled Drongo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) belongs to the Dicruridae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Moluccas, New Guinea region, n, e Australia, Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 85.5 g, with a wing length of about 15 cm and a tail of around 12 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spangled Drongo?
The Spangled Drongo is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 85.5 g.
Where does the Spangled Drongo live?
The Spangled Drongo is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Moluccas, New Guinea region, n, e Australia, Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Spangled Drongo belong to?
The Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) belongs to the Dicruridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Spangled Drongo eat?
The Spangled Drongo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Spangled Drongo migrate?
The Spangled Drongo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spangled Drongo endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Spangled Drongo make?
1 real field recording of the Spangled Drongo — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Spangled Drongo's range?
The Spangled Drongo has a mapped global range of about 2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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