| “ | That's because he's a drongo. And drongos can make their voice sound like other animals. Isn't that right? | ” |
Drongos are birds that appear in The Lion Guard universe. They live in the Pride Lands.
Appearance
In the Real World
Drongos are small birds with iridescent, glossy black or dark gray feathers. Their tails are distinctive, long and deeply forked. They have short legs, pointed wings, and hooked bills. Many species of drongo, including those shown in The Lion Guard, have crests atop their heads.
In The Lion Guard
The drongo Tamaa is shown with tail streamers and a crest above his beak.
Information
In the Real World
Drongos belong to the family Dicruridae. They are skilled at mimicking different calls and other sounds. They use this ability to frighten animals away with alarm calls, not just those of their own species but also those of other animals, in order to eat their food, and obtain at least a fifth of their food using this method. Drongos are known for being aggressive birds, and will attack birds that are larger than themselves.
In The Lion Guard
Tamaa the drongo did not mimic alarm calls. He instead mimics the voices of predators such as Goigoi and Makuu.
History
The Call of the Drongo
Tamaa the drongo appears throughout this episode. He is shown imitating predators to scare off animals and steal their food. He is later captured by hyenas, but escapes by mimicking the voice of the hyena leader Janja. After helping rescue a herd of impalas, he promises to use his talent of mimicry for good.
Divide and Conquer
The Lion Guard see that Tamaa has started using his talent to become a comedian, and now other animals give him food like he's a street performer. Kion asks him to occupy Reirei's jackal pack while the guard heads the other way to save Rafiki from five hyenas. After Reirei realizes it is a trick, she and her pack join the attack on Rafiki - outnumbering the Lion Guard nine to seven.
Notable Drongos
Trivia
- Although Tamaa is supposed to be a fork-tailed drongo, he has a greater resemblance to a racket-tailed drongo, a species that can only be found in Asia.