Drongo

1st July, 2023 Environment

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context

At the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary few experts spotted three avian species.
Greater racket-tailed drongo noise was heard and confirmed.
The other two spotted species were
- Black headed oriole – it was sighted after 40 years,
- Red-whiskered bulbuls

Other Details

A group of experts was conducting the government-directed Sarus crane census when they heard the sound made by Greater racket-tailed drongo.
Group included assistant director at the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) Rajat Bhargava.
Experts Confirmed that the sanctuary was now a breeding ground for the species.
The species was confirmed as resident species of this sanctuary for the first time.

Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary

Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary is a sanctuary in the Gangetic plains of state of Uttarpradesh.
It is spread across various district namely Meerut, Ghaziabad, Bijnore, Amroha and Jyotiba Phule Nagar and covers an area of more than 2,000 sq. Km.
In 1986, the above mentioned area was declared as Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary.
The main aim was/is to protect and conserve the ecology and biodiversity of the Ganga basin.

Greater racket-tailed drongo

It is known by its scientific name Dicrurus paradiseus, who belongs to the family of Dicruridae.
It makes loud calls for food and mating.
It has a distinctive tail rackets and has short legs.
It can also imitate sounds of other birds.
They mainly feed on insect but eat fruits
Behaviour of these birds is found aggressive in general.

Habitat and Distribution

They are mainly found in the
- Western Himalayas to the eastern Himalayas
- Peninsular India and the Western Ghats’s hills
- Islands of Borneo and Java
- Countries like Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia Singapore, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand
These birds are found in Corbett Reserve and Rajaji National Park
They thrive in forested areas with a dense availability of insects.
Small patches of open forest are suitable for these birds.

Conservation Efforts

What more could be done

They should not be disturbed by curious photographers
The exact location of these birds should not be disclosed.
Sound eco-health of the sanctuary to be maintained.
Regular tree plantations and other efforts to conserve biodiversity should be continued.