The ashy drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus) is a slim, slaty-grey songbird with a deeply forked tail and a red eye, found across the hills and forests of India, where some populations breed in the Himalaya and other hills and others arrive as winter visitors on the plains and in the peninsula. It is an insect-hawking bird that sits upright on an exposed perch and darts out to snatch flying insects.
The ashy drongo is also a fine mimic and a bold defender of its territory, and it feeds on nectar in winter. This explainer covers how to recognise the bird, the races that move through India, where and when to see it, what it eats, how it hunts, how it breeds, and how the species is faring. 23 October 2026.
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Common name | Ashy drongo |
| Scientific name | Dicrurus leucophaeus |
| Family | Dicruridae (drongos), order Passeriformes (perching birds) |
| Body length | About 28 to 30 cm, with a long forked tail |
| Plumage | Slaty or ashy grey, darker on the wings and tail; a red eye |
| Habitat in India | Forests, forest edges, wooded hills, plantations and gardens |
| Seasonal pattern in India | Resident in some hills; breeding in the Himalaya and winter visitor to the plains and peninsula |
| Conservation status (IUCN) | Least Concern |
Key Takeaways
- The ashy drongo is a slim, slaty-grey songbird about 29 cm long, with a deeply forked tail and a red eye.
- The ashy drongo catches flying insects by darting out from an exposed perch and returning to the same spot, a technique called hawking.
- The ashy drongo includes several races, some of which breed in the Himalaya and other hills and some of which move to the plains and peninsula in winter.
- The ashy drongo also drinks nectar from winter-flowering trees and is a capable mimic of other birds.
- The ashy drongo is a member of the family Dicruridae, which includes the black drongo and the greater racket-tailed drongo.
- The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the ashy drongo as a species of Least Concern.
What is the ashy drongo?
The ashy drongo is a medium-sized, slender, grey drongo of southern and eastern Asia, belonging to the genus Dicrurus, the same genus as the black drongo and the racket-tailed drongos. It is one of the most widespread drongos in India and is common in forested hills and wooded gardens.
Like other drongos, the ashy drongo has a forked tail, an upright posture and a bold, aggressive manner. It sits on a bare branch or wire and watches for movement. It differs from the black drongo mainly in its colour, which is a smoky grey rather than glossy black, and in its more forest-loving habits.
The ashy drongo is classed in the drongo family Dicruridae, a group of insect-eating songbirds found in Africa, Asia and Australasia. Several races or subspecies of the ashy drongo exist across its large range, and they vary in shade of grey, in the shape of the tail and in whether they are migratory.
How can you identify the ashy drongo?
The ashy drongo can be identified by its overall slaty-grey plumage, its dark red eye, its long and deeply forked tail and its upright perching posture. The head is often a little darker than the body, and the wings and tail are blackish with a faint gloss.
Key features
- The body is smoky or ashy grey, paler on the belly in some races.
- The eye is red or dark red-brown, a feature that helps separate it from some other drongos.
- The tail is long, with a deep fork and, in some races, curled outer tips.
- The bill is black and slightly hooked, with bristles at the base.
Races and variation
The ashy drongo varies in shade across its range. Some winter visitors are paler grey, and one race has a white patch on the cheek that gives it a “white-faced” look. Ornithologists have named several subspecies for these differences, and field guides disagree in detail on how many to recognise. Birdwatchers in India usually identify the bird to species level and note the shade and any white on the face.
Look-alikes
The ashy drongo may be mistaken for the black drongo, which is darker and glossier, or for the bronzed drongo, which has a metallic sheen. The grey tone and the red eye are the best clues.
Is the ashy drongo a resident or a migratory bird in India?
The ashy drongo is both resident and migratory in India, because some races stay in the hills while others breed in the Himalaya and move to the plains and the peninsula for the winter. The mix of movements makes the bird easy to see in winter in many places where it is absent in summer.
Birds breeding in the Himalaya and north-east tend to descend to lower elevations and travel south in autumn. They spread through the peninsula and are found in forests, gardens and plantations in the Western Ghats and elsewhere between about October and March or April. Other races live in the hills of peninsular India and Sri Lanka throughout the year. The detailed routes and numbers of these movements are still being studied, and ringing and citizen-science records add to the picture.
What does the ashy drongo eat?
The ashy drongo eats mainly flying insects, including moths, butterflies, wasps, bees, dragonflies and beetles, and it also drinks nectar from flowering trees. In winter, when it is in the plains, nectar can be an important source of energy.
The bird visits trees such as silk-cotton, coral tree and eucalyptus when they are in flower and probes the blooms for nectar. In doing so it can carry pollen from flower to flower and may act as a minor pollinator. It sometimes takes small fruits or even small lizards. Most of its food, however, is caught on the wing.
How does the ashy drongo hunt?
The ashy drongo hunts by perching in the open, spotting a flying insect, darting out to catch it in the air and returning to the same perch, a technique often called hawking or sallying. The same bird may use a favourite perch over and over again.
The method works well because the ashy drongo has sharp eyesight, a flexible tail that helps it manoeuvre, and a wide bill with bristles that help trap prey. It hunts in the early morning and evening as well as through the day, and often hunts around dusk when insects are active. It also follows large animals, grazing livestock and fires to catch insects flushed out by them, a behaviour shared with other drongos.
When a hawk, a cat or another predator approaches, the drongo gives loud alarm calls and sometimes mobs the intruder. This bold behaviour is typical of the family.
Can the ashy drongo mimic other birds?
Yes, the ashy drongo can mimic the calls of other birds, like many drongos, and it mixes these imitations with its own whistles, chattering and harsh notes. The song is varied and can sound like a medley of different species.
The reasons for mimicry are debated. It may help the bird in attracting mates, in defending territory or in startling other birds. Some drongos elsewhere use false alarm calls to steal food, but whether the ashy drongo does so regularly is not well documented. In winter the bird is usually quieter but still calls, and its voice is often heard from the canopy before the bird is seen.
How does the ashy drongo breed?
The ashy drongo breeds by building a shallow, cup-shaped nest of fine twigs, grass and cobwebs in the fork of a tree and laying a small clutch of spotted eggs, which both parents guard. Breeding takes place mainly in the Himalaya and other hill forests in spring and early summer.
The nest is built fairly high in a tree, often well hidden by foliage. The female usually lays three or four eggs, and both parents feed the chicks. The pair defends the nest aggressively against crows, raptors and other intruders. Because the ashy drongo breeds in hills and uplands away from many towns, it is less often seen nesting than the black drongo, which nests in open farmland.
Where is the ashy drongo found in India?
The ashy drongo is found in forested and wooded areas across India, from the Himalayan foothills and north-east to the Western Ghats and the southern peninsula, with the greatest numbers in the hills during the breeding season and in the plains and south during winter. It also occurs in Sri Lanka and much of South and Southeast Asia.
The bird favours open forest, forest edges, clearings, orchards and plantations such as coffee and tea estates. It is also a regular winter visitor to gardens and wooded urban areas in some cities. It is generally less common in open treeless farmland, where the black drongo takes over.
Is the ashy drongo threatened?
The ashy drongo is not considered threatened; the IUCN rates it as Least Concern because it has a very large range and is common in many areas. Exact population numbers are not well established, and the trend is thought to be stable.
Local pressures include forest clearance, the loss of flowering trees that supply winter nectar, and the use of pesticides that reduce insect prey. Because many ashy drongos move seasonally, they depend on connected patches of habitat in both the hills and the lowlands. Under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, wild birds are protected in India. Keeping native trees in gardens, campuses and plantations helps the bird.
How does the ashy drongo compare with other Indian drongos?
The ashy drongo differs from other Indian drongos in its grey colour, its red eye and its mix of hill-breeding and winter-visiting races. The table below compares it with three other commonly seen drongos.
| Drongo | Colour and look | Typical habitat | Seasonal pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashy drongo | Slaty grey, red eye, deeply forked tail | Hill forests, plantations, wooded gardens | Resident in some hills; winter visitor elsewhere |
| Black drongo | Glossy black, forked tail | Open farmland and grassland | Largely resident with local movements |
| Bronzed drongo | Black with a metallic bronze-green gloss | Forest and forest edge | Mostly resident |
| Greater racket-tailed drongo | Large, glossy black, forehead crest, long racket streamers | Moist forest and plantations | Largely resident |
The comparison shows that drongos occupy different settings. The black drongo dominates open fields, whereas the ashy drongo is the typical grey drongo of wooded country.
How can you watch the ashy drongo?
You can watch the ashy drongo by visiting a wooded area, plantation or large garden between October and March, scanning bare branches and wires, and looking for a slim grey bird that flies out and returns to its perch. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times.
- Look for the upright posture and the deep fork of the tail.
- Check the eye colour; a red eye points to the ashy drongo.
- Watch flowering trees in winter, since the bird visits them for nectar.
- Listen for mimicry in the canopy, which often reveals the bird before it is seen.
- Avoid playback of calls, which can disturb resident birds.
- Log sightings on a citizen-science platform such as eBird to help track winter movements.
Bottom Line
The ashy drongo is a slim grey, red-eyed insect-hawker that breeds in the hills and visits the plains and peninsula in winter. It is common and not threatened, but it relies on connected forest, flowering trees and healthy insect populations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What colour is the ashy drongo?
The ashy drongo is slaty or smoky grey, with darker wings and tail and a red eye. Some races are paler, and one has a white patch on the cheek. The grey colour helps separate it from the glossy black drongo.
Is the ashy drongo a migratory bird?
Partly, yes. Some ashy drongos breed in the Himalaya and move to the plains and peninsula for the winter, while others stay in the hills all year. The details of these movements are still being studied.
What does the ashy drongo eat?
The ashy drongo eats mainly flying insects, which it catches in short sorties from a perch. It also drinks nectar from winter-flowering trees and sometimes takes small fruits or small animals. Moths, wasps, beetles and dragonflies are among its prey.
How is the ashy drongo different from the black drongo?
The ashy drongo is slaty grey with a red eye, while the black drongo is glossy black. The ashy drongo prefers wooded hills and gardens, whereas the black drongo is common in open farmland. Both have deeply forked tails and hunt insects from perches.
Can the ashy drongo mimic other birds?
Yes, the ashy drongo can mimic the calls of other birds, like many drongos. It combines these imitations with its own whistles and harsh notes. The purpose of the mimicry is still debated.
Is the ashy drongo endangered?
No, the ashy drongo is not endangered; the IUCN lists it as Least Concern. The species has a very large range and is common in many areas. Forest loss and pesticide use are possible local pressures.
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