Ashy Drongo

Dicrurus leucophaeus Vieillot, 1817

≈24 cmLength38 gWeight

It is dark gray overall, with a long, deeply forked tail and a very upright perching stance.

Busiest months: February · Most records: India, Thailand, China

Looks like Black Drongo

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Body feathers mainly dark gray
Tail long and deeply forked
Some subspecies have white markings on the head
Legs short; body held very upright when perched

Male, female and young

Juvenile is dark rufous-gray.

Voice

Often gives “drangh gip” or “gip-gip-drangh”.

Similar species

Black Drongo

The Indian subspecies is as black as Black Drongo, but more slender, with a longer, less deeply forked tail and no metallic gloss on the belly.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: February · Most records: India, Thailand, China

Ashy Drongo has been recorded at 1,172 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 19 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

GKVK CampusIndia8,608 records
Nandi HillsIndia1,550 records
Rishi Valley – School CampusIndia1,419 records

More places

College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, PookodeIndia1,330 records
Kinabalu Park – HQ areaMalaysia1,277 records
Saul Kere / Sowl KereIndia1,111 records
Valley SchoolIndia1,101 records
Fergusson College CampusIndia1,065 records
Kaeng Krachan NPThailand1,052 records
Cat Tien NPVietnam1,030 records

Countries and regions with the most records

India Thailand China Vietnam Cambodia Malaysia Nepal Indonesia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The ashy drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus) is a species of bird in the drongo family Dicruridae. It is found widely distributed across eastern and Southeast Asia, with several populations that vary in the shade of grey, migration patterns and in the size or presence of white patches around the eye.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Ashy Drongo?

The Ashy Drongo is about ≈24 cm long and weighs around 38 g.

Where does the Ashy Drongo live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: widespread. It is most often recorded in India, Thailand and China.

When is the best time to see the Ashy Drongo?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Ashy Drongo endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Ashy Drongo as Least Concern.

What does the Ashy Drongo eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Ashy Drongo in?

It belongs to the family Drongos (Dicruridae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: ≈24 cm
Weight: 38 g
Habitat: Forest
Diet: Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle: Perches in trees
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 135 mm
Tail: 135 mm
Bill: 25 mm
Tarsus: 19 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 4

Dicrurus leucophaeus hopwoodi e Himalayas through s China and n Myanmar to ne Indochina | non-breeding: to s Indochina
Dicrurus leucophaeus leucogenis c, n, e China | non-breeding: to Malay Pen. and Cambodia
Dicrurus leucophaeus salangensis se China | non-breeding: to Malay Pen. and s Indochina
Dicrurus leucophaeus innexus Hainan I. (off se China)