Fork-tailed drongo

The fork-tailed drongo, also known as the common drongo, African drongo, or savanna drongo, is a medium-sized bird native to the Afrotropics. You can spot these striking birds across Africa, south of the Sahara, particularly in open forests and bush areas. With their glossy black feathers, forked tails, and piercing red eyes, these birds are hard to miss. They are also known for their metallic calls and clever trickery, often using alarm calls to steal food from other animals.

These birds are quite the characters. They prefer to live alone but form strong monogamous pairs when it's time to breed. Don't let their size fool you—they are known for their boldness and won't hesitate to mob larger birds to defend their nests or territory. Their diet mainly consists of insects and small animals, although they won't pass up nectar if they find it. One of their most fascinating behaviors is kleptoparasitism: they use fake alarm calls to trick animals like meerkats and babblers into abandoning their food, which the drongos then steal.

When it comes to raising their young, fork-tailed drongos lay two to four eggs in cup-shaped nests high up in trees. Interestingly, they sometimes end up hosting the eggs of African Cuckoos and Jacobin Cuckoos, who sneak their eggs into the drongos' nests. The species is divided into four accepted subspecies, each with its unique range and characteristics.