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'{{short description|Medium sized Asian bird with elongated tail feathers}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}} {{speciesbox | name = Greater racket-tailed drongo | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref>{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International. |year=2016 |title=''Dicrurus paradiseus'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T103711122A94102694 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T103711122A94102694.en |access-date=11 December 2018}}</ref> | image = Greater racket-tailed drongo @ Kanjirappally 01.jpg | genus = Dicrurus | species = paradiseus | authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1766) | synonyms = *''Cuculus pardiseus'' {{small|Linnaeus,&nbsp;1766}} *''Dissemurus paradiseus'' {{small|(Linnaeus,&nbsp;1766)}} *''Dissemuroides paradiseus'' {{small|(Linnaeus,&nbsp;1766)}} *''Edolius grandis'' {{small|Gould,&nbsp;1836}} }} The '''greater racket-tailed drongo''' ('''''Dicrurus paradiseus''''') is a medium-sized [[Asia]]n [[bird]] which is distinctive in having elongated outer tail feathers with webbing restricted to the tips. They are placed along with other [[drongo]]s 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 flock]]s, 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]].<ref>{{cite journal|year=1948|title= Evolution in the Family Dicruridae (Birds)|journal= Evolution|volume=2|issue=3|pages=238–265|doi=10.2307/2405383|last1=Mayr|first1=E.|last2=Vaurie|first2=C.|pmid=18884665|jstor=2405383}}</ref> ==Taxonomy== In 1760 the French zoologist [[Mathurin Jacques Brisson]] included a description of the greater racket-tailed drongo in his ''Ornithologie'' based on a specimen that had been collected in Thailand (Siam). He used the French name ''Le Coucou Verd Hupé de Siam'' and the Latin ''Cuculus Siamensis Cristatus Viridis''.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Brisson | first=Mathurin Jacques | author-link=Mathurin Jacques Brisson | year=1760 | title=Ornithologie; ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, espéces & leurs variétés | volume=4 | publisher=Jean-Baptiste Bauche | place=Paris | language=fr | page=151, [https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36195266 Plate XIV] | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36195226 }}</ref> Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the [[binomial nomenclature|binomial system]] and are not recognised by the [[International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature]].<ref name=allen>{{cite journal |last=Allen | first=J.A. | author-link=Joel Asaph Allen | year=1910 | title=Collation of Brisson's genera of birds with those of Linnaeus |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Naturala History |volume=28 | pages=317–335 | hdl=2246/678 }}</ref> When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist [[Carl Linnaeus]] updated his ''[[Systema Naturae]]'' for the [[12th edition of Systema Naturae|twelfth edition]], he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson.<ref name=allen/> One of these was the greater racket-tailed drongo. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the [[binomial name]] ''Cuculus paradiseus'' and cited Brisson's work.<ref>{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=Carl | author-link=Carl Linnaeus | year=1766 | title=Systema naturae : per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis | edition=12th | volume=1, Part 1 | publisher=Laurentii Salvii | place=Holmiae (Stockholm) | language=la | page=172 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42946368 }}</ref> The current genus ''[[Dicrurus]]'' was introduced by the French ornithologist [[Louis Pierre Vieillot]] in 1816.<ref>{{cite book | last=Vieillot | first=Louis Pierre | author-link=Louis Pierre Vieillot | title=Analyse d'Une Nouvelle Ornithologie Élémentaire | publisher=Deterville/self | year=1816 | location=Paris | page=41 | language=fr| url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k9745205x/f47.image }}</ref> There are 13 recognised subspecies:<ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | year=2018 | title=Orioles, drongos, fantails | work=World Bird List Version 8.1 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/orioles/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=29 March 2018 }}</ref> * ''D. p. grandis'' ([[John Gould|Gould]], 1836) – north India through west and north Myanmar and south China to north Indochina * ''D. p. rangoonensis'' (Gould, 1836) – central India through Bangladesh, central Myanmar and north Thailand to central Indochina * ''D. p. paradiseus'' (Linnaeus, 1766) – south India to south Thailand, north [[Malay Peninsula]] and south Indochina * ''D. p. johni'' ([[Ernst Hartert|Hartert]], 1902) – [[Hainan Island]] (off southeast China) * ''D. p. ceylonicus'' [[Charles Vaurie|Vaurie]], 1949 – Sri Lanka * ''D. p. otiosus'' ([[Charles Wallace Richmond|Richmond]], 1902) – [[Andaman Islands]] * ''D. p. nicobariensis'' ([[E. C. Stuart Baker|Baker, ECS]], 1918) – [[Nicobar Islands]] * ''D. p. hypoballus'' ([[Harry C. Oberholser|Oberholser]], 1926) – central Malay Peninsula * ''D. p. platurus'' [[Louis Pierre Vieillot|Vieillot]], 1817 – south Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and nearby islands * ''D. p. microlophus'' (Oberholser, 1917 – islands in the South China Sea ([[Tioman Island]], [[Anambas Islands]] and the [[Natuna Regency|North Natuna Islands]]) * ''D. p. brachyphorus'' ([[Charles Lucien Bonaparte|Bonaparte]], 1850) – Borneo * ''D. p. banguey'' ([[Frederick Nutter Chasen|Chasen]] & [[C. Boden Kloss|Kloss]], 1929) – islands off north Borneo * ''D. p. formosus'' ([[Jean Cabanis|Cabanis]], 1851) – [[Java]] So if u see this I hope you have a good day🤩🇸🇬🇸🇬✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️ ==Description== In most of its range in Asia, this is the largest of the drongo species and is readily identifiable by the distinctive tail rackets and the crest of curled feather that begin in front of the face above the beak and along the crown to varying extents according to the subspecies. The tail with twirled rackets is distinctive and in flight it can appear as if two large bees were chasing a black bird. In the eastern Himalayas the species can be confused with the [[lesser racket-tailed drongo]], however the latter has flat rackets with the crest nearly absent.<ref name=pcr>{{ cite book | last1=Rasmussen | first1=Pamela C. | author1-link=Pamela C. Rasmussen | last2=Anderton | first2=John C. | year=2012 | title=Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide | volume=2: Attributes and Status | edition=2nd | publisher=Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Lynx Edicions | place=Washington D.C. and Barcelona | isbn=978-84-96553-87-3 | pages=592–593 }}</ref> [[File:DicrurusParadiseusHead.jpg|thumb|The crest size and shape varies across its range|alt=|left]] This widespread species includes populations that have distinct variations and several subspecies have been named. The nominate form is found in southern India, mainly in forested areas of the Western Ghats and the adjoining hill forests of peninsular India. The subspecies in Sri Lanka is ''ceylonicus'' and is similar to the nominate form but slightly smaller. The subspecies found along the Himalayas is ''grandis'' and is the largest and has long glossy neck hackles. The Andaman Islands form ''otiosus'' has shorter neck hackles and the crest is highly reduced while the Nicobars Island form ''nicobariensis'' has a longer frontal crest and with smaller neck hackles than ''otiosus''.<ref name=pcr/> The [[Sri Lanka drongo]] (''D. lophorinus'') used to be treated as a subspecies as it was believed to form hybrids with ''ceylonicus'' but is now considered a separate species on the basis of their overlapping ranges.<ref name=pcr/><ref>{{cite journal |year=1980| title=Occurrence of ''Dicrurus paradiseus lophorhinus'' (Vieillot) in Goa (India)|journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=77|issue=3|pages=511–512 |author1=Saha, Bhabesh Chandra |author2=Mukherjee, Ajit Kumar| url = https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44708447}}</ref> Specimens of the nominate form have sometimes been confused with the Sri Lanka drongo.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ripley | first1=S. Dillon |year=1981|title= Occurrence of ''Dicrurus paradiseus lophorhinus'' (Vieillot) in Goa (India) - a comment|journal= Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=78|issue=1|pages=168–169|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48228668}}</ref> Considerable variation in shape of the bill, extent of the crest, hackles and tail rackets exists in the island populations of Southeast Asia. The Bornean ''brachyphorus'' (=''insularis''), ''banguey'' of [[Banggai Regency|Banggai]] lack crests (''banguey'' has frontal feathers that arch forwards) while very reduced crests are found in ''microlophus'' (=''endomychus''; Natunas, Anambas and Tiomans) and ''platurus'' (Sumatra). A number of forms are known along the Southeast Asian islands and mainland including ''formosus'' (Java), ''hypoballus'' (Thailand), ''rangoonensis'' (northern Burma, central Indian populations were earlier included in this) and ''johni '' (Hainan).<ref name=vaurie>{{cite journal|last=Vaurie | first=C. | year=1949|title= A revision of the bird family Dicruridae|journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |volume= 93|pages=203–342 |hdl=2246/1240}}</ref> Young birds are duller, and can lack a crest while moulting birds can lack the elongate tail streamers. The racket is formed by the inner web of the vane but appears to be on the outer web since the rachis has a twist just above the ''spatula''.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ali | first=Salim | year=1929 | title=The racket-feathers of ''Dissemurus paradiseus'' | journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=33|issue=3|pages=709–710|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47489881}}</ref> ==Distribution and habitat== The distribution range of this species extends from the western Himalayas to the eastern Himalayas and Mishmi Hills in the foothills below {{cvt|1200|m|ft}}. They are found 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.<ref>{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Greenway | editor2-first=James C. Jr | year=1962 | title=Check-list of birds of the world | volume=15 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | pages=154–156 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14485527 }}</ref><ref name=hbk>{{cite book|author1=Ali S |author2=SD Ripley | year=1986| title=Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan| volume=5 | edition=2nd| publisher= Oxford University Press| pages=135–143}}</ref> ==Behaviour and ecology== [[File:Greater racket tailed Drongo.jpg|thumb|left|Greater racket-tailed drongo showing the twisted rachis and racquets]] Like other drongos, these feed mainly on insects but also eat fruit and visit flowering trees for nectar. Having short legs, they sit upright and are often perched on high and exposed branches. They are aggressive and will sometimes mob larger birds especially when nesting.<ref name=whistler/> They are often active at dusk.<ref name=hbk/> [[File:Greater racket-tailed drongo - Dicrurus paradiseus.ogg|thumb|right|Song]] Their calls are extremely varied and include monotonously repeated whistles, metallic and nasal sounds as well as more complex notes and imitations of other birds. They begin calling from as early as 4 am in moonlight often with a metallic ''tunk-tunk-tunk'' series.<ref name=kkn>{{cite journal|last=Neelakantan | first=K.K. |year=1972|title= On the Southern Racket-tailed Drongo ''Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus'' (Linn.)|journal= Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=69|issue=1|pages=1–9|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48288879}}</ref> They have an ability to accurately [[mimicry|mimic]] [[alarm call]]s of other birds that are learnt through interactions in mixed-species flocks. This is quite unusual, as avian vocal mimicry has hitherto been believed to be ignorant of the original context of the imitated vocalization. [[Grey parrot]]s are known to use imitated human speech in correct context, but do not show this behavior in nature.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Goodale |first1=E. |last2=Kotagama |first2=S.W. |year=2006 |title=Context-dependent vocal mimicry in a passerine bird |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=273 |issue=1588 | pages=875–880 | doi=10.1098/rspb.2005.3392 | doi-access=free |pmid=16618682 |pmc=1560225}}</ref> This drongo's context-sensitive use of other species' alarm calls is thus analogous to a human learning useful short phrases and exclamations in a number of foreign languages. A special alarm note is raised in the presence of [[shikra]]s that has been transcribed as a loud ''kwei-kwei-kwei...shee-cuckoo-sheecuckoo-sheecuckoo-why!''.<ref name=kkn/> They have been said to imitate raptor calls so as to alarm other birds and steal prey from them in the ensuing panic.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bourdillon | first1=T.F. | year=1903 | title=The birds of Travancore | journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=15|issue=3|pages=455|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2096992}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| last1=Satischandra | first1=S.H.K. | last2=Kodituwakku | first2=P. | last3=Kotagama | first3=S.K. | last4=Goodale | first4=E. |title= Assessing "false" alarm calls by a drongo (''Dicrurus paradiseus'') in mixed-species bird flocks|journal=Behavioral Ecology|year=2010|doi= 10.1093/beheco/arp203| volume=21|pages=396–403|issue=2| doi-access=free }}</ref> They are also known to imitate the calls of species (and possibly even behaviour as it was once recorded to fluff up and moving head and body like a jungle babbler when imitating its calls) that typically are members of mixed-species flocks such as babblers<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Daniel | first1=J.C. | year=1966 | title=Behaviour mimicry by the Large Racket-tailed Drongo ''Drongo paradiseus'' (Linnaeus) |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=63|issue=2|pages=443|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47950790}}</ref> and it has been suggested that this has a role in the formation of mixed-species flocks.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Vocal mimicry by a passerine bird attracts other species involved in mixed-species flocks| last1=Goodale | first1=E. | last2= Kotagama | first2=S. |journal=Animal Behaviour|year=2006|volume=72|pages=471–477 |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2006.02.004 |url=http://eben.goodale.googlepages.com/AnimalBehaviour2006.pdf |issue=2| s2cid=53148848 }}</ref> In some places they have been found to be [[kleptoparasitism|kleptoparasitic]] on others in mixed-species flock, particularly laughingthrushes but they are most often involved in mutualistic and commensal relations.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=King | first1=D.I. | last2=Rappole | first2=J.H. |year=2001 |title=Kleptoparasitism of laughingthrushes ''Garrulax'' by Greater Racket-tailed Drongos ''Dicrurus paradiseus'' in Myanmar |journal=Forktail |volume=17 |pages=121–122 |url=http://orientalbirdclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/King-Laughingthrushes.pdf }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Satischandra | first1=S.H.K. | last2=Kudavidanage | first2=E.P. | last3=Kotagama | first3=S.W. | last4=Goodale | first4=E. | year=2007 | title=The benefits of joining mixed-species flocks for Greater Racket-tailed Drongos ''Dicrurus paradiseus'' | journal=Forktail | volume=23 | pages=145–148 | url=http://orientalbirdclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Satischandra-Drongos.pdf }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Goodale |first1=E. | last2=Kotagama | first2=S.W. | year=2008 |title=Response to conspecific and heterospecific alarm calls in mixed-species bird flocks of a Sri Lankan rainforest | journal=Behavioral Ecology |volume=19|issue=4|pages=887–894|doi=10.1093/beheco/arn045|doi-access=free |hdl=10.1093/beheco/arn045 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Several observers have found this drongo associating with foraging woodpeckers<ref>{{cite journal|title=Possible association between the Large Yellownaped Woodpecker (''Picus flavinucha'') and the Large Racket-tailed Drongo (''Dissemurus paradiseus'')|pages=941–942|volume=50|issue=4|journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |author=Bates, RSP|year=1952|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48057628}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Styring | first1=A.R. | last2=Ickes | first2=K. | year=2001 |title=Interactions between the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo ''Dicrurus paradiseus'' and woodpeckers in a lowland Malaysian rainforest |journal=Forktail |volume=17 |pages=119–120 |url=http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/forktail/17pdfs/Styring-Drongo.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123034527/http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/forktail/17pdfs/Styring-Drongo.pdf |archive-date=23 November 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Johnson,JM |year=1975|title= The Racket Tailed Drongo - ''Dicrurus paradiseus'' behaviour of imitating the call of the Great Black Wood-pecker, ''Dryocopus javensis'' in Mudumalai Sanctuary|journal= Indian Forester |volume=98|issue=7|pages=449–451}}</ref> and there is a report of one following a troop of macaques.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Ganesh, T |year=1992|title= A silent association |journal= Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=89|issue=3|page=374|quote=Incorrectly notes species as ''remifer''|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48732854}}</ref> The greater racket-tailed drongo is a resident breeder throughout its range. The breeding season in India is April to August. Their courtship display may involve hops and turns on branches with play behaviour involving dropping an object and picking it in mid air.<ref name=kkn/> Their cup nest is built in the fork of a tree,<ref name=pcr/> often a smooth-boled tree with an isolated canopy, The nesting pair may even remove bits of bark on the trunk to make it smooth.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Agnihotri, Samira|author2=Kethegowda, Marian|author3=Jadeswamy|year=2020|title=Do racket-tailed drongos make tree guards for their nest trees?|journal=Behaviour|volume=157|issue=14–15|pages=1239–1244|doi=10.1163/1568539X-bja10043}}</ref> The usual clutch is three to four [[Egg (biology)|egg]]s. The eggs are creamy white with blotches of reddish brown which are more dense at the broad end.<ref name=whistler>{{cite book|author=Whistler, Hugh|pages=160–161|title=Popular handbook of Indian Birds. Fourth edition.|year=1949|publisher=Gurney and Jackson, London}}</ref> [[File:Greater Racket-tailed-Drongo cropped.jpg|thumb|250 px|right|In flight, at [[Nijgadh]], [[Nepal]]]] ==In culture== The common whistle note that is made leads to its local name in many parts of India of ''kothwal'' (which means a "policeman" or "guard", who used a whistle that produced a similar note), a name also applied to the [[black drongo]] and in other places as the ''Bhimraj'' or ''Bhringaraj''.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Vernacular Names of the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent |journal=Buceros |author=Anonymous |year=1998 |volume=3 |issue=1 |url=http://www.bnhsenvis.nic.in/pdf/vol%203%20(1).pdf |pages=53–109 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401015111/http://www.bnhsenvis.nic.in/pdf/vol%203%20%281%29.pdf |archive-date=1 April 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In [[Mizo language]] of northeast India, it is called '' Vakul'' and the [[Mizo people]] use the tail feathers in ceremonies.<ref>{{cite book|author=Lalthangliana, B.|url=https://archive.org/details/CULTUREANDFOLKLOREOFMIZORAM/page/n338/mode/1up|title=Culture and folklore of Mizoram|publisher=Government of India|year=2005|pages=14,301}}</ref> Prior to the 1950s it was often kept in captivity by people in parts of India. It was said to be very hardy and like a crow, accommodating a varied diet.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Finn, Frank |year= 1899 |title= On a new species of Bhimraj (''Dissemurus''), with some observations on the so-called family Dicruridae|url=https://archive.org/stream/journalofasi681899unse#page/n135/mode/2up|journal= Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal | volume=68|issue=2|pages=119–121}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/birdsofcalcutta00finnrich#page/32/mode/2up|title=The Birds of Calcutta|author=Finn, Frank|year=1904|publisher=Thacker, Spink & Co, Calcutta|page=32}}</ref> [[Edward H. Schafer]] considered the greater racket-tailed drongo as the basis for the divine ''[[kalaviṅka]]'' birds mentioned in Chinese and Japanese [[Buddhist]] texts.<ref>{{cite book|title=The golden peaches of Samarkand: a study of Tʻang exotics |author=Schafer, EH|year=1963|pages=103–104| publisher=University of California Press}}</ref> {{clear}} ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} == External links == {{Commons category}} * [http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/greater-racket-tailed-drongo-dicrurus-paradiseus Internet Bird Collection] * [https://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Dicrurus-paradiseus Xeno-canto: audio recordings of the greater racket-tailed drongo] {{Taxonbar|from=Q856531}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Drongos|greater racket-tailed drongo]] [[Category:Birds of Indomalaya]] [[Category:Birds described in 1766|greater racket-tailed drongo]] [[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus|greater racket-tailed drongo]] [[Category:Articles containing video clips]]'