Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus remifer
小盘尾
Introduction
The lesser racket-tailed drongo is a passerine bird found across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from the lower Himalayas through mainland Southeast Asia to Sumatra and Java. The species inhabits subtropical and tropical moist montane forests, occurring at mid-canopy levels and forest edges. Body length is approximately 25 cm, with tail feather shafts extending over 50 cm beyond the body. Plumage is all-black with a subtle bluish gloss. The species has tail streamers and a crest that distinguish it from the greater racket-tailed drongo. As an aerial insectivore, it hawks flying insects. The species is active and restless, frequently joining mixed-species foraging flocks. It exhibits aggressive behavior toward intruders and produces loud, varied vocalizations.
Description
This drongo measures 25-27.5 cm in body length, with the ornamental outer tail feather shafts adding an additional 30-40 cm to the total length. Males weigh 39-49 grams while females are slightly lighter at 35.5-44 grams. The plumage is entirely black with a bluish metallic gloss visible in good light. The most striking feature is the pair of elongated tail feather shafts extending beyond the tail, each tipped with rounded webbed feather vanes. The species possesses a prominent crest on the head. Unlike the greater racket-tailed drongo, which has a square-cut tail without streamers, this species' tail appears forked due to the elongated outer feathers.
Identification
The most reliable field mark is the combination of a crested black head and the distinctive long tail feather streamers extending beyond the tail proper. The greater racket-tailed drongo is similar but lacks the crest and has a square-cut tail lacking the extended shafts. In flight, the dangling tail streamers create a unique silhouette among forest birds. The bluish gloss to otherwise black plumage can be visible in good lighting conditions. The species is best located by voice, as the tail is often hidden when the bird is foraging actively in dense mid-canopy vegetation.
Distribution & Habitat
This species occupies a broad range across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, and southern China. The core habitat consists of subtropical and tropical moist montane forests, where the species occurs both at forest edges and deep within the interior. Four recognized subspecies show geographic differentiation across this range, from the lower Himalayas through mainland Southeast Asia to the islands of Sumatra and Java.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Dicruridae
- Genus
- Dicrurus
- eBird Code
- lrtdro1
Vocalizations
Subspecies (4)
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Dicrurus remifer lefoli
southern Cambodia (Dâmrei and Cardamom mountains)
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Dicrurus remifer peracensis
southern Thailand to western Laos and Malay Peninsula
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Dicrurus remifer remifer
Sumatra and Java
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Dicrurus remifer tectirostris
Himalayas to southern China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Indochina
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.