Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) Townsville Common Queensland

[Rod Warnock]

Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) Townsville Common Queensland
Canon EOS 7D Lens 400mm L USM ISO400 F6.3 1/4000 flash 25 August 2011
The Spangled Drongo is a spectacular flyer as it hawks for insects and often returning to the same perch to eat the prey. It has been seen to attach small birds such as Silvereyes. The very strong beak supports this predator behaviour.
The Spangled Drongo also occurs in Papua-New Guinea and Indonesia and they are migratory. The species can be found across northern Australia down the east coast and may occasionally reach Tasmania. Not all birds migrate. Other related species of Drongo occur in India and south east Asia , the Philippines and other western Pacific Islands. So much for initial assumption the name might be from Australian slang !!! The Spangled Drongo is a spectacular flyer as it hawks for insects and often returning to the same perch to eat the prey. It has been seen to attack small birds such as Silvereyes. The very strong beak supports this predator behaviour.
The image above taken in a section of Townsville Common which had been burned just prior to my August visit, indeed sections were still smouldering. I was slowly cruising looking for subjects when I spotted this Spangled Drongo perched in the seared limb amidst blacked tree trunks and no ground cover left.
Birds in Backyards covers the species clearly, briefly but adequately at: http://birdsinbackyards.net/species/Dicrurus-bracteatus

Thanks for viewing
Best regards
Rod Warnock

[EzhilSuresh]

Rod,
Nice lighting on the back of the bird and a good description to go with it. To me, the background is a bit overpowering.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Rod, very dramatic. I feel that the contrast is a bit too strong though. You might want to sharpen it a little less also.