I was in Townsville recently and spotted a bird identical in appearance to the spangled drongo as shown on this site. However, the sound it makes is different to the description in my Field Guide and the call described on this site. It was making a call like a long "twee weeet". This bird was eating mulberries (unless it was eating insects off the mulberries that was staining its beak). So, I am confused because the sound and eating habits of the bird do not fit the physical appearance.
I have a photo (not very good) that shows the colour and fish tail of the spangled drongo. I couldn't work out how to include the photo.
Hi Paul
Sound like it was a Drongo, they feed on a great variety of things and have many calls, if it was the right colour and had a fish hook tail Drongo for sure.
Ed Townsville NQ
I can only agree with Ed. A lot of birds will make a heap of different sounds and Drongos can hold their own in this. I'd bet it's a Drongo.
See Yez
Trev
Thank you for the response. I am convinced the bird must be a Spangled Drongo. Someone else suggested it could be a cuckoo from New Guinea but I am very doubtful.
Paul
Have you considered a metallic starling. Similar in appearance, eg shape of beak and red eyes, but smaller than the drongo and with a pointed tail, not the fish tail of the drongo. It's range is coastal north Queensland as far south as Mackay.
Sue
Further to my previous reply: when I checked the metallic starling in the BIBY Bird Finder it listed only one bird - the spangled drongo, yet both my Simpson & Day and Pizzey & Knight field guides list two different species.
Sue
Hi everybody.
Further to Sue's comment, BIBY makes no claim to cover all known species of Birds in Australia. Considering its name, it does a very good job of covering most birds likely to be seen.
.
There are other sites which are more comprehensive.
One I use is called
"Birdpedia" but there are others as well.
In this case, Birdpedia shows this page for Metallic Starling:
http://www.birdpedia.com/au/bi.dll/bipu02?m=006_01&id505=1000000425
To check out other species go to the front page
http://www.birdpedia.com/au/bi.dll/bipu01?m=002_21 then scroll down the left hand column to "find"/"Common name" a new screen will open, and then type in the name.
It will search the options and if you are in luck, it will give you a link.
.
Cheers
Denis
Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com
HI ALL
The last few days we have in the mulberry tree next door a common koel this dose look a bit like a drongo
I just recently joined birds in backyards and posted a message to this forum. I am delighted with the response. I am convinced that the bird I spotted is a spangled drongo, as I have found no other bird with the same fish tail. I will try in this message to include the photo, not very good quality but the beak and tail are plain to see.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2711776&id=782918944
HI Paul
Yes it is a drongo mate.