Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo
Dicrurus paradiseus
Aves › Passeriformes › Dicruridae › Dicrurus
Conservation status: least_concern
This medium-sized Asian bird is conspicuous in forest habitats, often perching in the open. It is notable for its wide range of loud calls, which include perfect imitations of many other birds. These birds feed mainly on insects but also eat fruit and visit flowering trees for nectar.
How To Identify
It possesses striking black plumage with iridescent blue highlights on the wings and tail. Its name derives from the distinctive pair of extended primary feathers that look like a flapping racket.
Habitat
It inhabits humid tropical and subtropical forests, woodlands, and cultivated areas from the foothills to moderate elevations across South and Southeast Asia.
Behaviour
This bold and intelligent bird is known for mobbing larger predators and engaging in impressive acrobatic flight displays, often accompanying mixed-species feeding flocks.
Native Range
The Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo is found in the western Himalayas to the eastern Himalayas and Mishmi Hills in the foothills below 1,200 m and in the hills of peninsular India and the Western Ghats continuing into the west to the islands of Borneo and Java in the east through the mainland and islands.
Did You Know?
The Greater Racket-tailed Drongo's distinctive long tail feathers end in racket-shaped tips that make a sharp snapping sound during aerial displays, which it uses both to attract mates and to warn rivals.
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