Dicrurus macrocercus is a bird of the family Cinchaceae with a body length of about 28 cm, although common and widespread, but because of its unobtrusive plumage, pitch black, and not small size, it is often mistaken for a small crow and is overlooked.
Black Capuchin (Photo: @Eagle Dance)
The black curly tail is black throughout with a hint of blue-green metallic sheen in the black feathers; the iris is dark red , the beak is thicker , and the beak base has whiskers ( similar to a beard ) ; the longer tail feathers are deeply forked — the tail feathers are lengthened sequentially from the center to the sides, and the outermost tail feathers are curved outwards and slightly upwards. This curved and upturned tail feather is very distinctive, and few birds have such tail feathers. The female and males with black capuchins look similar, but the juveniles are not all black, and their abdomen is white with black scaly spots. Compared to birds that are also black, such as crows, crows, and dicrurus hottentottus, the deep forked tail feathers of the black capuchin are very important identifying features.
Hair crown cap cap (Image: wiki)
The crown is curled and tailed, and a few filamentous feathers on the top of the head are sometimes visible, most of the time inconspicuous. The upper roll of the tail feather is more clearly visible on the side (Image source: Handbook of Birds in the Wild in China, the upper left corner is this juvenile bird)
The tail feathers of the capuchin family are more peculiar, in addition to the upper roll, there are also outer tail feathers that are elongated and silky, and the ends have flaky feathers on the one side of the feather shaft, and the two fluttering ribbons that fly up are very beautiful to drag behind. Take, for example, The Great Pan Tail (Dicrurus paradiseus).
Large disc tail, small "crest" at the base of the forehead beak, and elongated tail feathers on the outside are important identifying features (Image: markeaton.org)
It is widely distributed in eastern and southern Asia, and is a common summer migratory bird in large areas of northern and southern China, and a resident and winter migratory bird in Yunnan, Taiwan, Hainan, and South and Southeast Asia. The black capuchin is a low-altitude arboreal bird that often stands on the top of the canopy and shrubland, and often flies down suddenly, skimming over the bush or grass to prey on insects, with a slender and graceful body, and the tail feathers open and close to make the deep fork shape fully visible. It likes to chirp when standing or flying, and the call is loud and noticeable, with husky syllables somewhat similar to crow calls. Black capuchins generally move in single or pairs, but also in small groups during the non-breeding season, and can be found in plains, open woodlands, forest edges and wetlands in hills, as well as in villages and urban parks.
Black Capuchin (Image: sjl.csie.chu.edu.tw)
The black capuchin builds a delicate bowl-like woven nest on the thin branches extending from the canopy, and the nest material is generally dry grass, laying 2 to 4 eggs at a time, and building new nests every year to breed. Black capuchins are very territorial, and if birds of prey or crows invade the nest area of black capuchin during the breeding period, they will be attacked by black capuchins until the intruder finally leaves.
Black capuchin attack snake eagle (Spilornis cheela) (Credit: ngm.nationalgeographic)
(This article is co-authored: @Red-billed Blue Magpie)
---------------------------------------- Anonymous Divider line ----------------------------------------
Cities belong not only to human beings, but also to the hundreds of millions of beautiful lives that lurk in them. FruitShell Network and AkzoNobel offer you the most sincere annual gift, the Urban Species Calendar. One species a day that takes you to rediscover your city.
p.s. Species calendar has WeChat signal Oh ~ If the paper version of the calendar and group posts can not meet you, scan the QR code below, the species calendar can also be carried around from now on!