"if a newly fledged bird alighted on it. It is held in reverence in parts of Punjab in the belief that it brought water to Husayn ibn Ali, revered by Shī‘a Muslims. Black drongo The black drongo (""Dicrurus macrocercus"") is a small Asian passerine bird of the drongo family Dicruridae. It is a common resident breeder in much of tropical southern Asia from southwest Iran through India and Sri Lanka east to southern China and Indonesia. It is a wholly black bird with a distinctive forked tail and measures in length. It feeds on insects, and is common in open"
"Drongo The drongos are a family, Dicruridae, of passerine birds of the Old World tropics. The 25 species in the family are placed in a single genus ""Dicrurus"". The drongo fantail (""Chaetorhynchus papuensis""), formerly named the pygmy drongo, is not closely related and is now placed in the family Rhipiduridae. Drongos are mostly black or dark grey, short-legged birds, with an upright stance when perched. They have forked tails and some have elaborate tail decorations. They feed on insects which they catch in flight or on the ground. Some species are accomplished mimics and have a variety of alarm calls,"
"but doubt this capability. The word ""drongo"" is used in Australian as a mild form of insult meaning ""idiot"" or ""stupid fellow"". This usage derives from an Australian racehorse of the same name (apparently after the spangled drongo, ""Dicrurus bracteatus"") in the 1920s that never won despite many places. Drongo The drongos are a family, Dicruridae, of passerine birds of the Old World tropics. The 25 species in the family are placed in a single genus ""Dicrurus"". The drongo fantail (""Chaetorhynchus papuensis""), formerly named the pygmy drongo, is not closely related and is now placed in the family Rhipiduridae. Drongos"
"shown in any animal other than humans. Two to four eggs are laid in a cup nest in a fork high in a tree. Drongos are brood hosts for African Cuckoos and Jacobin Cuckoos. Its populations are genetically highly structured, and four races are accepted. The races ""D. a. modestus"" (Príncipe) together with ""D. a. coracinus"" and ""D. a. atactus"" (Bioko to west and central mainland Africa, from Guinea east to western Kenya and south to Angola) are usually split as a separate species, the velvet-mantled drongo, ""D. modestus"" (Hartlaub, 1849). Fork-tailed drongo The fork-tailed drongo, also called the common"
"Fork-tailed drongo The fork-tailed drongo, also called the common drongo, African drongo, or savanna drongo (""Dicrurus adsimilis""), is a species of drongo in the family Dicruridae, which are medium-sized passerine birds of the Old World. It is native to the tropics, subtropics and temperate zones of the Afrotropics. Its range was formerly considered to include Asia, but the Asian species is now called the black drongo (""Dicrurus macrocercus""). The fork-tailed drongo is a common and widespread resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara. These insect-eating birds are usually found in open forests or bush, and are tolerant of arid"
"Common square-tailed drongo The common square-tailed drongo (""Dicrurus ludwigii"") is a drongo named after Baron von Ludwig. It was long considered conspecific with the Sharpe's and western square-tailed drongos. The drongos are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics. They were previously classed as the family Dicruridae, but that has been much enlarged to include a number of largely Australasian groups, such as the Australasian fantails, monarchs and paradise flycatchers. The common square-tailed drongo is a common resident breeder in much of Africa south of the Sahara. These insect-eating birds are usually found in forests or dense bush. Two"
"typically found in more open habitat. The common square-tailed drongo has short legs and sits very upright whilst perched prominently, like a shrike. It flycatches or take prey from the ground. The call is a harsh ""cherit-cherit"". Common square-tailed drongo The common square-tailed drongo (""Dicrurus ludwigii"") is a drongo named after Baron von Ludwig. It was long considered conspecific with the Sharpe's and western square-tailed drongos. The drongos are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics. They were previously classed as the family Dicruridae, but that has been much enlarged to include a number of largely Australasian groups, such"
"White-bellied drongo The white-bellied drongo (""Dicrurus caerulescens"") is a species of drongo found across the Indian Subcontinent. Like other members of the family Dicruridae they are insectivorous and is mainly black in colour but with a white belly and vent. Young birds are, however, all black and can be confused with the black drongo, although smaller and more compact in appearance, and the subspecies found in Sri Lanka has white restricted to the vent. This drongo is black without any glossy feathers on the upperside and greyish on the throat and breast, while the belly and vent are entirely white"
"blue-black iridesccence of ""D. ludwigii"". Sharpe's drongo Sharpe's drongo (""Dicrurus sharpei"") is a species of drongo found in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is distributed from southern South Sudan and western Kenya to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Nigeria east of the Niger River and south of the Benue River. It was long considered a subspecies of the square-tailed drongo (""Dicrurus ludwigii"") but a 2018 study of genetic divergences indicated that both were distinct species. It can be physically distinguished from ""D. ludwigii"" by the lack of white tips on the axillaries as well as having a dull purplish-blue"
"Sharpe's drongo Sharpe's drongo (""Dicrurus sharpei"") is a species of drongo found in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is distributed from southern South Sudan and western Kenya to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Nigeria east of the Niger River and south of the Benue River. It was long considered a subspecies of the square-tailed drongo (""Dicrurus ludwigii"") but a 2018 study of genetic divergences indicated that both were distinct species. It can be physically distinguished from ""D. ludwigii"" by the lack of white tips on the axillaries as well as having a dull purplish-blue iridescence rather than the greenish"
"African drongos than drongos in other parts of Africa. Western square-tailed drongo The western square-tailed drongo (""Dicrurus occidentalis"") is a species of drongo found in western Africa, where it is distributed from Senegal to the portion of Nigeria west of the Niger River. Its closest relative is Sharpe's drongo (""Dicrurus sharpei""), from which it diverged about 1.1 mya, as indicated by genetic studies. It can be differentiated from ""D. sharpei"" by the differing bill width and height, and can be differentiated from other west African drongo species by its dull purplish blue gloss. Despite these morphological differences, it was long"
"Drangue The dragùa, drangue, or drangoni, in Albanian mythology, is a semi-human winged warrior. The goal of the drangue is to defeat the kulshedras and the enemies of the Albanian people. Common (standard Albanian) form of the name is ""dragúa"" (def. ""dragói""),; in Gheg it is ""drangue"". Durham recorded the form ""drangoni"". In the earliest conception, found in the earliest writings in Albanian, the dragùa was conceived as a dragon or hydra-like monster, such as found in Roman mythology and known in the Balkans. The conception of the dragùa as a hero battling the kulshedra developed later, and is attested"
"climates. The fork-tailed drongo is 25 cm long and has short legs. They are medium sized and usually weigh about 50 grams. Males are mainly glossy black, although their wings are duller. Females are similar but less glossy. It is large-headed with well-developed rictal and nasal bristles, which are used as sensory organs. The rectrices curve outwards, forming the forked tail for which the species is named. The hooked bill is black and heavy, and the eye is red. The call is a metallic ""strink-strink"". The fork-tailed drongo uses alarm calls to steal food from birds and animals such as"
"together. These drongos will sometimes steal insect prey caught or disturbed by other foragers in the flock and another ideas is that vocal mimicry helps them in diverting the attention of smaller birds to aid their piracy. They are diurnal but are active well before dawn and late at dusk. Owing to their widespread distribution and distinctive regional variation, they have become iconic examples of speciation by isolation and genetic drift. The greater racket-tailed drongo was described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his ""Systema Naturae"" under the binomial name ""Cuculus paradiseus"". It"
"remarkable characteristic of its appearance is its tail, which is described by Morcombe as ""long, outcurved and forked"" and on first examination looks like its feathers are crossed over - like crossing your fingers. Young drongos lack the highlights and spots and their eyes are dark brown. The spangled drongo displays uninhibited and sometimes comical behaviour as it swoops and perches in search of insects, small birds and occasionally, small skinks. When it - seasonally - visits urban areas it is easily tamed by throwing small pieces of raw meat into the air, when it will accurately swoop and catch"
"to which other birds and animals often respond. There is evidence that they utter hoax alarm calls that typically scare other animals off food, which the drongo then eats, a matter of interest to researchers. The genus ""Dicrurus"" was introduced by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot for the drongos in 1816. The type species was subsequently designated as the balicassiao. The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek words ""dikros"" ""forked"" and ""oura"" ""tail"". This family now includes only the genus ""Dicrurus"" but Christidis and Boles (2007) expanded the family to include the subfamilies Rhipidurinae (Australasian fantails), Monarchinae"
"birds and even mammals. Two to four eggs are laid in a nest high in a tree. Despite their small size, they are aggressive and fearless, and will attack much larger species if their nest or young are threatened. Several species of animals and birds respond to drongos' alarm calls, which often warn of the presence of a predator. Fork-tailed or common drongos in the Kalahari desert are known to use alarm calls in the absence of a predator to cause animals to flee and abandon food, which they eat, getting up to 23% of their food this way. They"
"Dragon A dragon is a large, serpent-like legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures around the world. Beliefs about dragons vary drastically by region, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as winged, horned, four-legged, and capable of breathing fire. Dragons in eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, four-legged, serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence. The earliest attested dragons resemble giant snakes. Dragon-like creatures are first described in the mythologies of the ancient Near East and appear in ancient Mesopotamian art and literature. Stories about storm-gods slaying giant serpents occur"
"peoples of Mongo have evolved into different forms, such as the winged Hawkmen, the tailed Lion Men, and the underwater dwelling Coralians. Mongo is about half the diameter of Earth but is considerably denser, so its gravity is only slightly weaker than the Earth's, though it still allows Flash Gordon to put his gymnastics skills to good use. Mongo has a variety of climates, and is inhabited by enormous, dinosaur-like monsters. In Alex Raymond's comic strip and the Flash Gordon movie serials, Mongo was shown as a rogue planet that had drifted into Earth's solar system. Later versions of the"
"meerkats. They make drongo-specific calls as well as mimicked calls. The mimicked calls help them while they target other animals that are eating food. The animals flee, and leave their food. Once they are gone, the drongo steals it. Vocal at dawn and dusk. They still-hunt by sitting very upright on a prominent perch, much like a shrike. They are usually solitary and form monogamous breeding pairs. They are aggressive and fearless, regularly mobbing or attacking much larger species, including birds of prey, if their nest or young are threatened or their territory is compromised. They also join mixed foraging"
"Stirge In the ""Dungeons & Dragons"" fantasy role-playing game, the stirge is a mosquito-like magical beast and a classic ""D&D"" monster. Originally presented as a more bird-like creature, the stirge may be derived from the Roman ""striga"", a vampiric owl-like night bird. The stirge was introduced to the game in its first supplement, ""Greyhawk"" (1975). It is described as a large, bird-like monster with a long proboscis which sucks blood from living creatures. The stirge appears in the first edition ""Monster Manual"" (1977), where it is said to be found in dark, tangled forests or in subterranean lairs, and lays"
"mimicked alarm calls to steal food from birds like pied babblers and animals such as meerkats. Tom Flower observed that fork-tailed drongos spend a quarter of their time following other animals. Drongos sometimes act as sentries when a predator is approaching, warning their neighbours with genuine alarm calls. But drongos also earn a quarter of their daily calories by sounding a false alarm when another animal finds food. When the meerkats and babblers flee from the non-existent predator, the drongo steals their food. Though in doubt, researchers have considered the possibility that these drongos possess theory of mind, not fully"
"introduce the players to the power of some creatures to drain ability score points,"" commenting: ""What's creepier than a giant mosquito that can suck a person dry? A whole flock of giant mosquitos, that's what."" Stirge In the ""Dungeons & Dragons"" fantasy role-playing game, the stirge is a mosquito-like magical beast and a classic ""D&D"" monster. Originally presented as a more bird-like creature, the stirge may be derived from the Roman ""striga"", a vampiric owl-like night bird. The stirge was introduced to the game in its first supplement, ""Greyhawk"" (1975). It is described as a large, bird-like monster with a"
"was one of 240 bird species that Linnaeus added to his twelfth edition based on the 1760 work ""Ornithologie"" by the French naturalist Mathurin Jacques Brisson. The current genus ""Dicrurus"" was introduced by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1816. There are 13 recognised subspecies: In most of its range in Asia, this is the largest of the drongo species and is readily identifiable by the distinctive tail rackets and the crest of curled feather that begin in front of the face above the beak and along the crown to varying extents according to the subspecies. The tail with"
"and there are still elderly people alive who espouse the belief. In Malësia, a region in northern Albania and southern Montenegro inhabited mostly by Albanians, the locals believe that the drangues exist and live among them. Drangue The dragùa, drangue, or drangoni, in Albanian mythology, is a semi-human winged warrior. The goal of the drangue is to defeat the kulshedras and the enemies of the Albanian people. Common (standard Albanian) form of the name is ""dragúa"" (def. ""dragói""),; in Gheg it is ""drangue"". Durham recorded the form ""drangoni"". In the earliest conception, found in the earliest writings in Albanian, the"
"Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons) In the ""Dungeons & Dragons"" (""D&D"") fantasy role-playing game, dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters. As a group, ""D&D"" dragons are loosely based upon dragons from a wide range of fictional and mythological sources. In ""D&D"", dragons are depicted as any of various species of large, intelligent, magical, reptilian beasts, each typically defined by a combination of their demeanor and either the color of their scales or their elemental affinity. For example, a commonly presented species of dragon is the red dragon, which is"
"Trasgu The trasgo, trasno or trasgu is a mythological creature present in the tradition of several cultures of nowadays northern Spain, specially in Galician, Asturian and Cantabrian traditional culture, it is also found in legends of North Portugal. In other parts of Europe it is also known as ""gnome,"" ""sylph,"" or ""kobold."" The origin of this mythological creature is Celtic and Roman and comes from Northern Europe. Trasgu or Trasgo (in Galician and Portuguese) is very common in the folklore of Tras-os-Montes and it was taken by the Portuguese throughout their empire originating similar myths like the Saci in Brazil."
"Western square-tailed drongo The western square-tailed drongo (""Dicrurus occidentalis"") is a species of drongo found in western Africa, where it is distributed from Senegal to the portion of Nigeria west of the Niger River. Its closest relative is Sharpe's drongo (""Dicrurus sharpei""), from which it diverged about 1.1 mya, as indicated by genetic studies. It can be differentiated from ""D. sharpei"" by the differing bill width and height, and can be differentiated from other west African drongo species by its dull purplish blue gloss. Despite these morphological differences, it was long overlooked by taxonomists due to less research on west"
"and dragon-slaying often undermine traditional gender roles. In children's literature the friendly dragon becomes a powerful ally in battling the child's fears."" The popular role playing game system ""Dungeons & Dragons"" (D&D) makes heavy use of dragons. Dragon A dragon is a large, serpent-like legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures around the world. Beliefs about dragons vary drastically by region, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as winged, horned, four-legged, and capable of breathing fire. Dragons in eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, four-legged, serpentine creatures with"
"rally together to drive away a shikra. They will descend to the ground to feast on emerging winged termites, hunt at dusk for small bats (such as ""Cynopterus sphinx"") and in rare instances they may even resort to feed on carrion. In one instance a male was found feeding on a dead chick at the nest. Their calls are mimicked by drongos and this behaviour is thought to aid in stealing food by alarming other birds that the drongos associate with. The breeding season in India is in summer from March to June. The nest is a platform similar to"
"Dingo The dingo is a type of dog that is native to Australia. Its taxonomic status is debated and it is classified as ""Canis familiaris"" or ""Canis familiaris dingo"" or ""Canis lupus dingo"" or ""Canis dingo"". The first British colonists to arrive established a settlement at Port Jackson in 1788 and recorded dingoes living there with indigenous Australians. Although members live in the wild, it is regarded as a feral dog, as it descended from domesticated ancestors. It associates with humans, but has not undergone the selective breeding that typifies other domesticated animals. It is a medium-sized canid that possesses"
"insects. With short legs, they sit upright on thorny bushes, bare perches or electricity wires. They may also perch on grazing animals. They are capable of producing a wide range of calls but a common call is a two note ""tee-hee"" call resembling that of the Shikra (""Accipiter badius""). The black drongo is found predominantly in open country and usually perches and hunts close to the ground. They are mostly aerial predators of insects but also glean from the ground or off vegetation. They are found as summer visitors to northeastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan but are residents from the"
"stork, Stanley crane, cattle egret, dromedary camel, wolf guenon, DeBrazza's monkey, klipspringer, Madagascar ground boa, Madagascar tree boa, ostrich, African grooved frog, Lady Ross turaco, Aldabra tortoise, African wild dog, African pancake tortoise, Sudanese plated lizard, and African Slender-snouted Crocodile. Tasmanian devil, koala, echidna, Matschie's tree kangaroo, saltwater crocodile, lorikeet, carpet python, princess of wale's parakeet, wompoo fruit dove, emu, red kangaroo, laughing kookaburra, budgerigar, Micronesian kingfisher, palm cockatoo, Major Mitchell's cockatoo. Asian elephant, Bactrian camel, snow leopard, Malayan tiger, red panda, king cobra, reticulated python, Indian python, wrinkled hornbill, pygmy slow loris, slow loris, orangutan, siamang, Komodo dragon, Chinese"