Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus paradiseus · Medium sized Asian bird with elongated tail feathers
Family
Order
Passeriformes
Codes
grtdro1, GRTD

About the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

The greater racket-tailed drongo is a medium-sized Asian bird which is distinctive in having elongated outer tail feathers with webbing restricted to the tips. They are placed along with other drongos in the family Dicruridae. They are conspicuous in the forest habitats often perching in the open and by attracting attention with a wide range of loud calls that include perfect imitations of many other birds. One hypothesis suggested is that these vocal imitations may help in the formation of mixed-species foraging flocks, a feature seen in forest bird communities where many insect feeders forage together. These drongos will sometimes steal insect prey caught or disturbed by other foragers in the flock and another idea is that vocal mimicry helps them in diverting the attention of smaller birds to aid their piracy. They are diurnal but are active well before dawn and late at dusk. Owing to their widespread distribution and distinctive regional variation, they have become iconic examples of speciation by isolation and genetic drift.

Source: Wikipedia

Taxonomy & Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyDrongos (Dicruridae)
SpeciesDicrurus paradiseus
Species Codesgrtdro1, GRTD

Frequently Asked Questions

What family does the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo belong to?

The Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus) belongs to the Drongos family (Dicruridae), in the order Passeriformes.

How can I identify the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo?

The greater racket-tailed drongo is a medium-sized Asian bird which is distinctive in having elongated outer tail feathers with webbing restricted to the tips. They are placed along with other drongos in the family Dicruridae. They are conspicuous in the forest habitats often perching in the open an...

Where can I report a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo sighting?

You can log sightings of Greater Racket-tailed Drongo on eBird (ebird.org) using species code grtdro1, or on iNaturalist.