A rare sighting has excited Mumbai’s birding and wildlife community. The ashy drongo (white-lored) has been recorded in the city for the first time. The bird was recently spotted in Manori by birder Dakshesh Ashra. The ashy drongo, a hill-breeding species, is typically found across tropical southern Asia, from eastern Afghanistan to southern China, the Ryukyu Islands of Japan (especially Okinawa), and Indonesia.

Ashra, a resident of Malad, has been a regular visitor to the Manori area, documenting bird species for the last two years. During his recent visit to Manori, a quaint fishing village located in the northern part of the city, he spotted and clicked pictures of the bird, which appeared rare and looked similar to a drongo.