Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo
Dicrurus paradiseus
Also known as: Greater Racquet-Tailed Drongo
About This Species
A striking black bird with long, wire-like tail streamers ending in distinctive rackets, often seen and heard mimicking other birds' calls from forest and woodland edges across South and Southeast Asia. It frequently joins mixed-species foraging flocks, sallying out to catch flying insects. Early morning is the best time to hear its varied vocal repertoire.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Keep a respectful distance and use optics rather than approaching closely, since this species can be aggressive near its nest but is still vulnerable to disturbance during incubation.
- Protection status and enforcement vary considerably across its range, so check local rules before visiting known nest sites.
- Avoid playback of recorded calls near breeding birds, as repeated exposure can disrupt normal territorial behaviour.
LCAvesPasseriformesDicruridae
Seasonal Activity
355,636 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Dicruridae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.