Ashy Drongo

The Ashy Drongo is a slim, medium-sized member of the drongo family, overall slaty-grey rather than the glossy black of its more common relative, the Black Drongo. Plumage shade varies geographically and by subspecies, ranging from pale bluish-grey to darker charcoal-grey, and some populations show a pale or whitish face patch around the eye.

Like other drongos, it has a slender, deeply forked tail and typically perches upright on an exposed branch or wire, sallying out after passing insects before returning to its post.

Key field marks

• Overall slate to bluish-grey plumage (never glossy jet-black)
• Deeply forked tail, though somewhat less pronounced than in Black Drongo
• Red eyes; some races show a pale patch around the eye or lores
• Upright, alert posture on exposed perches

Similar species

The Black Drongo is glossy black rather than grey and lacks a pale face patch. The Crow-billed Drongo and other grey-toned drongos overlap in some regions but are typically darker and lack the pale face; range, subtle bill shape, and voice help separate closely related drongo species.

The Ashy Drongo breeds across the Himalayas, parts of northern and central Asia, and China, and many populations are migratory, wintering widely across South and Southeast Asia, including much of India, Sri Lanka, and the Indomalayan region. It favors forest, forest edge, and wooded habitats, including gardens and plantations during the non-breeding season, more so than the open-country Black Drongo.

Voice

Calls include harsh, metallic notes and varied whistles, with some individuals capable of mimicking other species; generally quieter and less vocal than Black Drongo.

Feeding

Ashy Drongos hunt flying insects by sallying from a perch in the forest canopy or edge, catching prey on the wing and returning to the same or a nearby perch.

Nesting and breeding

Breeding birds build a shallow cup nest of twigs and fibers slung in a fork high in a tree. Migratory populations do not breed in their wintering grounds, where they are seen mainly as solitary individuals defending temporary feeding territories.