Greater Racket-tailed Drongo - Dicrurus paradiseus

General Information

Common Name : Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Scientific Name : Dicrurus paradiseus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Order : Passeriformes
Family : Dicruridae
Taxonomic Group : Passeriformes - Dicruridae ( Drongos )
Vernacular Name : Hindi: Bhimraj, Bhringraj, Bhangraj, Sanskrit: Bhrungaraj, Bengal: Bhimraj, Bhringraj, Assam: Bhimraj, Cachar (Assam): Dao raja gashim, Lepcha (Sikkim): Parvak, Parvak pho, Nepal: Kaljia, Gond (Madhya Pradesh): Hati, Gujarat: Bhimraj, Maharashtra: Pallavp

Pictures

General Species Profile

Taxonomy

Clements Checklist of Birds of the World 6.4 December 2009 Updated

Common Name : Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Scientific Name : Dicrurus paradiseus
Order : Passeriformes Family : Dicruridae (Drongos)
Number of SubSpecies : 14

Taxon Category	Sub Species / Race	Range
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	N India to n Myanmar and n Vietnam
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus rangoonensis	Central India to s Myanmar, w Thailand and Indochina
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	S India to s Thailand and Indochina
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus johni	Hainan (s China)
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus malayensis	N Malaysia
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus platurus	S Malaysia, Sumatra and adjacent nw islands
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus ceylonicus	Sri Lanka
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus lophorinus	W Sri Lanka
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus otiosus	Andaman Islands
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus nicobariensis	Nicobar Islands
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus banguey	Islands off north Borneo
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus brachyphorus	Borneo
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus microlophus	North Natuna Islands
subspecies	Dicrurus paradiseus formosus	Java

Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World 2006

3rd Edition, 2003. Revised and Corrected per Corrigenda to December 31, 2006

Common Name : Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Scientific Name : Dicrurus paradiseus
Number of SubSpecies : 14

Sub Species / Race
Dicrurus paradiseus grandis
Dicrurus paradiseus rangoonensis
Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus
Dicrurus paradiseus johni
Dicrurus paradiseus ceylonicus
Dicrurus paradiseus lophorinus
Dicrurus paradiseus otiosus
Dicrurus paradiseus nicobariensis
Dicrurus paradiseus hypoballus
Dicrurus paradiseus platurus
Dicrurus paradiseus microlophus
Dicrurus paradiseus brachyphorus
Dicrurus paradiseus banguey
Dicrurus paradiseus formosus

IOC World Bird Names (version 2.2)

IOC Common Name : Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
IOC Scientific Name : Dicrurus paradiseus

Distribution :
Region : OR Range : widespread
Order : PASSERIFORMES Family : Dicruridae
Category : Drongos

A Synopsis of the Birds of India and Pakistan

SYNOPIS NO : 976-981

Scientific Name: Dicrurus paradiseus
Common Name: Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Birdlife International Checklist Ver 3 June 2010

Common Name : Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Scientific Name : Dicrurus paradiseus ((Linnaeus, 1766))
Birdlife Synonym :

BirdLife Redlist Status Year 2010: LC
BirdLife Species FactSheet for Greater Racket-tailed Drongo ( Dicrurus paradiseus )

Taxonomy Treatment : R

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

IUCN Common Name (Eng) : Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Scientific Name : Dicrurus paradiseus (Linnaeus, 1766)
IUCN Redlist Species FactSheet for Greater Racket-tailed Drongo ( Dicrurus paradiseus )

Species : paradiseus
Genus : Dicrurus
Family : Dicruridae Order : Passeriformes

IUCN RedList Status : LC

IUCN RedList Criteria Version : 3.1
IUCN RedList Year Assessed : 2008
IUCN RedList Petitioned : N

Oriental Bird Club Checklist Draft Novemebr 2009

Family : DICRURIDAE

Scientific Name : Dicrurus paradiseus
Common Name : Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

IOC Checklist Difference : Dicrurus lophorinus Sri Lanka Drongo

Bibliography

Bibliography of Greater Racket-tailed Drongo ( Dicrurus paradiseus )
Number of Results found : 44

1. S. HARSHA K. SATISCHANDRA, ENOKA P. KUDAVIDANAGE, SARATH W. KOTAGAMA and EBEN GOODALE , (2007), The benefits of joining mixed-species flocks for Greater Racket-tailed Drongos Dicrurus paradiseus., Forktail, 23: 145.

2. Craig Robson , (2005), Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus), BIRDS OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA; New Holland Publishers Ltd, : 84.

3. Goodale E;Kotagama SW; , (2005), Testing the roles of species in mixed-species bird flocks of a Sri Lankan rain forest, Journal of Tropical Ecology, 21:6: 669 - 676.

4. Goodale E;Kotagama SW;Holberton RL; , (2005), ALARM CALLING IN SRI LANKAN MIXED-SPECIES BIRD FLOCKS, The Auk, 122:1: 108 - 120.

5. Kotagama SW; Goodale E , (2004), The composition and spatial organisation of mixed-species flocks in a Sri Lankan rainforest., Forktail, 20: 63 - 70.

6. Sivakumar K , (2003), Some observations on the breeding biology of birds on Great Nicobar Island, India., Forktail, 19: 130 - 131.

7. DAVID I. KING, JOHN H. RAPPOLE , (2001), Mixed-species bird flocks in dipterocarp forest of north-central Burma (Myanmar), Ibis, 143:4: 380 - 390.

8. D.I. KING and J.H. RAPPOLE , (2001), Kleptoparasitism of laughingthrushes Garrulax by Greater Racket-tailed Drongos Dicrurus paradiseus in Myanmar, Forktail, 17: 121.

9. A.R. STYRING and KALAN ICKES , (2001), Interactions between the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus and woodpeckers in a lowland Malaysian rainforest., Forktail, 17: 119.

10. King, D. I., J. H. Rappole. , (2001), Kleptoparasitism of laughingthrushes Garrulax by Greater Racket-tailed Drongos Dicrurus paradiseus in Myanmar., Forktail, 17: 121 - 122.

11. Styring, A. R., K. Ickes. , (2001), Interactions between the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus and woodpeckers in a lowland Malaysian rainforest., Forktail, 17: 119 - 120.

12. Krys Kazmierczak; Ber van Perlo , (2000), Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus), A FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT; Yale University Press, : 192.

13. Carol Inskipp; Tim Inskipp; Richard Grimmett , (1999), Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus), HELM FIELD GUIDES - BIRDS of BHUTAN; A&C Black, : 116.

14. Santharam V; , (1999), Birds foraging on tree trunks, Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 96:3: 468 - 469.

15. Grimmett R;Inskipp C;Inskipp T; , (1995), Drongos of the Indian subcontinent, Oriental Bird Club Bulletin, 22:: 21 - 27.

16. Editor; , (1995), Gilimale Forest Reserve, Ceylon Bird Club Notes, 1995:April: 34.

17. Ganesh T; , (1994), A nocturnal Racket tailed Drongo, Newsletter for Birdwatchers, 34:4: 98.

18. Wijemanne A; , (1993), Induruwa forest, Gilimale; Bellanwila-Attidiya marshes; Bodhinagala, Ceylon Bird Club Notes, 1993:April: 39.

19. Roberts TJ; , (1988), More on Drongo eye colour, Oriental Bird Club Bulletin, 7:Spring: 33 - 34.

20. Salim Ali; S Dillon RipleyÂ , (1986), No. 981. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus nicobariensis) (Baker), Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan; Oxford University Press, New Delhi, Volume 5 (Larks to Grey Hypocolius ): 142.

21. Salim Ali; S Dillon RipleyÂ , (1986), No. 980. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus otiosus) (Richmond), Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan; Oxford University Press, New Delhi, Volume 5 (Larks to Grey Hypocolius ): 142.

22. Salim Ali; S Dillon RipleyÂ , (1986), No. 979. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus lophorhinus ) Vieillot, Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan; Oxford University Press, New Delhi, Volume 5 (Larks to Grey Hypocolius ): 140.

23. Salim Ali; S Dillon RipleyÂ , (1986), No. 978. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus ceylonicus) Vaurie, Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan; Oxford University Press, New Delhi, Volume 5 (Larks to Grey Hypocolius ): 140.

24. Salim Ali; S Dillon RipleyÂ , (1986), No. 977. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus) (Linnaeus), Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan; Oxford University Press, New Delhi, Volume 5 (Larks to Grey Hypocolius ): 137.

25. Salim Ali; S Dillon RipleyÂ , (1986), No. 976. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus grandis ) (Gould), Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan; Oxford University Press, New Delhi, Volume 5 (Larks to Grey Hypocolius ): 136.

26. Nash, A. D., S. V. Nash. , (1985), Large Frogmouth Batrachostomus auritus mobbed by a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus., Kukila, 2: 67.

27. Hoffmann TW; , (1982), Wilpattu; Colombo; Welimada; Hakgala; Horton Plains, Ceylon Bird Club Notes, 1982:May: 23 - 24.

28. Ripley SD; , (1981), Occurrence of Dicrurus paradiseus lophorhinus (Vieillot) in Goa (India) - a comment, Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 78:1: 168 - 169.

29. Rahmani AR; , (1981), Large Racket-tailed Drongo and Common Babbler, Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 78:2: 380.

30. Saha BC;Mukherjee AK; , (1980), Occurrence of Dicrurus paradiseus lophorhinus (Vieillot) in Goa (India), Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 77:3: 511 - 112.

31. Johnson JM; , (1975), The Racket Tailed Drongo - Dicrurus paradiseus behaviour of imitating the call of the Great Black Wood-pecker, Dryocopus javensis in Mudumalai Sanctuary, Indian Forester, 98:7: 449 - 451.

32. Neelakantan KK; , (1972), On the Southern Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus (Linn.), Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 69:1: 1 - 9.

33. Daniel JC; , (1966), Behaviour mimicry by the Large Racket-tailed Drongo [Drongo paradiseus (Linnaeus)], Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 63:2: 443.

34. Gee EP; , (1964), The bird mystery of Haflong, Harper Collins New Delhi, : 113 - 120.

35. Biddulph CH; , (1954), Possible association between the Large Yellow-naped Woodpecker and the Large Racket-tailed Drongo, Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 52:1: 209.

36. Bates RSP; , (1952), Possible association between the Large Yellownaped Woodpecker (Picus flavinucha) and the Large Racket-tailed Drongo (Dissemurus paradiseus), Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 50:4: 941 - 942.

37. Vaurie C; , (1949), A revision of the bird family Dicruridae, American Museum of Natural History, 93:: 199 - 342.

38. Whistler H; , (1930), The tail-racket of Dissemurus paradiseus, Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 34:1: 250.

39. Ali S; , (1929), The racket-feathers of dissemurus paradiseus, Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 33:3: 709 - 710.

40. Finn F; , (1902), On some cases of abrupt variation in Indian birds, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 71:2: 81 - 85.

41. Finn F; , (1900), On a new species of Bhimraj (Dissemurus), with some observations on the so-called family Dicruridae, Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 13:2: 377 - 378.

42. Finn F; , (1899), On a new species of Bhimraj (Dissemurus), with some observations of the so-called Dicruridae, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 68:2: 119 - 121.

43. Ball V; , (1876), Notes on some birds collected in Sambalpur and Orissa, Stray Feathers, 4:4,5&6: 231 - 237.

44. Latham J; , (1788), , Leigh and Sotheby London, : .

Book Excerpts

The Birds of India - Vol - I (1862)

Malabar Racket-Tailed Drongo (Edolius malabaricus)

285. Edolius Malabaricus, Scop.

Lanius apud Scopoli - D. rotifer apud Jerdon, Cat. 59. - E. cristatellus, Blyth - E. paradiseus, var. C, Blyth, Cat. 1215 - Horsf., Cat. 203 - Kate-ongal, Mahr. - Karan, Mal.

The Malabar Racket-tailed Drongo.

Descr. - Frontal crest short, barely 1 inch long, varying from 3/4 of an inch to 1 1/4. Color much the same ; bill proportionally smaller, and the bird also generally slightly smaller.

Length 13 inches; wing 5 3/4 to 6 1/4; tail 6 1/2 ; outer tail-feathers 12 more; bill at front 3/4. This must be the Grand Gobe-mouche de la cote de Malabar of Sonnerat, Voyage, 2, pl. 3, from which Scopoli gave his name Malabaricus, and the omission of the crest in Sonnerat's figure is probably accidental, or perhaps an error of the draftsman.

It is doubtful, however, if it be the same as the Malay race to which Blyth and Moore give, after Latham, the name of Malabaricus (now Malayensis, Blyth), which is apparently still smaller, and with the crest very little developed. This Malay race should bear Temminck's name setifer, misprinted retifer. A race from the Andamans is mentioned by Blyth, as having a longer crest than the Malay bird, and being somewhat larger ; and the Ceylon bird has also the crest more developed; but no specimens from Malabar being in the Museum at Calcutta, it is impossible to decide at present whether these races differ or not from the Malabar one.

This species or race is found in all jungles of the west coast, from Travancore up to Goa, especially in the Wynaad, and other elevated districts, but it also wanders now and then into gardens from the jungles, and I have seen it close to Cannanore. I never saw a specimen from the west of India, that had the frontal crest nearly so long as those from the same latitude, or nearly so, in the Eastern Ghats. It does not differ in its habits from the last.

Mr. Blyth tells me that E. Rangoonensis of Gould, which he formerly considered the same as the crestless race from Malayana, is a distinct species, not from Burmah, but from the Philippines. Other species recorded are E. brachyphorus, Temm., apud Bonaparte, from Borneo, crestless; and E. formosus, Cabanis, from Banka.

The Birds of India - Vol - I (1862)

Large Racket-Tailed Drongo (Edolius paradiseus)

284. Edolius paradiseus, Lin.

Syn. L. malabaricus, Latham, Gen. Hist., 2, pl. 18 – Chibia malabaroides, Hodgs. - E. grandis, Blyth, J. A. S., XL, 170 - E. dentirostris of Orissa, Jerd., Madr. Jour., XIII. 121, var A., and E. Blyth. Cat. 1215 - Horsf., Cat. 202 - Bhimraj, II. Or Bhring-raj, i. e. 'King of the bees' - Kalgia, Nepal - Tinka-assala poli-gadu, i. e. 1 Long-tailed Drongo,' Tel. - Hati of the Gonds, Parvak or parvok-pho, Lepch.

The Large Racket-tailed Drongo.

Descr. - Plumage uniformly black, with a steel-blue gloss; feathers of crown slightly hackled, those of the nape strongly so, on breast slightly; plumage generally loose and puffy; frontal crest falling backwards over the nape, varying from 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 inches in length.

Length, to end of ordinary tail, 14 inches ; wing 6 3/4; tail to middle 6 1/2;; outer tail-feather 12 to 13 inches more ; the shaft having the terminal end, for about 3 1/2 inches, barbed externally, but towards the tip only on the inner side, and turning inwards, so that the under side becomes uppermost. Bill at front 1 3/8 to 1 1/2; tarsus 1 inch.

In conformity with the views of Horsfield and Blyth, I have considered the varieties we possess in Northern and Eastern India, as one and the same species. At the same time there are some well marked differences according to locality. Those from the Eastern Ghats have the bill stronger, more compressed, the ridge sharper and the tip more deeply notched, and the crest is barely so long as in those from Nepal and Assam, whilst those from Goomsoor have the bill smaller and less strongly toothed, and the crest larger.

This very showy and curious bird is found in the dense forests of India, from the Himalayas to the Eastern Ghats as far south as N. L. 15°. I have seen them from Nellore Ghats, Goomsoor, the forests of Central India, and they are found in Lower Bengal, the Sunderbuns, and the Himalayas. Out of our province it is found in Assam, Sylhet, Burmah and Tenasserim. Near Darjeeling they do not range higher than 1,500 ft. or 2,000 ft. of elevation.

This large Racket-tailed Drongo is found singly or in pairs, now and then in small parties, and appears to wander a good deal in search of food, flying from tree to tree, generally at no great elevation, making an occasional swoop at an insect on the wing, or sometimes whipping one off a branch.

Frequently, however, it hunts for sometime from a fixed station, returning to the same tree. Its food is bees, wasps, beetles, dragonflies, locusts, and mantides. It has a very peculiar call, beginning with a harsh chuckle, and ending in a pecular metallic creaking cry. Mr. Elliot expresses it by Tse-rung, Tse-rung. It has, however, a great variety of notes. It follows birds of prey now and then, especially at the breeding time, just as our common King-crow does. I have had its nest brought me several times at Darjeeling; rather a large structure of twigs and roots, and the eggs, usually three in number, pinkish-white, with claret-colored or purple spots ; but they vary a great deal in size, form, and colouring. They breed in April and May.

The Bhimraj is often caught and tamed, and may generally be had at Calcutta or at Monghyr, where the hill-men bring Shamas, Hill Mynas, Bhimrajs, and various other hill-birds for sale. It is a very amusing bird in confinement; will imitate all sorts of sounds, as of dogs, cats, sheep and goats, poultry, and the notes of many birds ; hence it used to be called by some Hazar-dastan, or the bird with a thousand tales. Blyth had one that imitated the fine song of the Shama to perfection. In other respects, it is a very fearless and amusing bird in captivity, and is sometimes even suffered to have its liberty, coming readily to the call of its owner. It will eat raw meat, lizards, and almost any kind of animal food that is offered to it.

Handbook to the Birds of the Bombay Presidency (1885)

Dissemurus grandis

Dissemurus grandis, Gould.

284. :- Edolius paradiseus, Lin. :- Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 435.

The Large Racket-tailed Drongo.

Length, to end of ordinary tail, 14; wing, 6'75; tail to middle, 65 ; outer tail-feathers, 12 or 13 inches more; the shaft having the terminal end, for. about 3'5 inches barbed externally, but towards the tip only on the inner side, and turning inwards, so that the underside becomes uppermost; bill at front, 1.4 to 1.5 ; tarsus, 1.

Plumage uniformly black, with a steel-blue gloss ; feathers of the crown slightly hackled, those of the nape strongly so, on breast slightly; plumage generally loose and puffy; frontal crest falling backwards over the nape, varying from 15 to 2.25 inches in length.

According to Jerdon, the Large Racket-tailed Drongo occurs in Central India.

Handbook to the Birds of the Bombay Presidency (1885)

Dissemurus paradiseus

Dissemurus paradiseus, Lin.

285. :- Edolius malabaricus, Scop. :- Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 437 ; Butler, Deccan,- Vol. IX, p. 395.

The Malabar Racket-tailed Drongo.

Bhimraj, Hin.

Length, 13 ; wing, 5.75 to 6.25 ; tail, 6.5 ; outer tail-feathers, 12 inches more ; bill at front, 0.75.

Plumage uniformly black, with a steel-blue gloss; feathers of crown slightly hackled, those of the nape strongly so, on breast slightly; plumage generally loose and puffy; frontal crest falling backwards over the nape, varying from 075 inches to 1.25 in length.

The Bhimraj is a permanent resident all along the Sahyadri Range, as far north as Khandalla, extending to the forests below, It is very partial to bamboo jungles.

It does not occur elsewhere within our limits.

The Avifauna of British India and its dependencies - Vol I (1888)

Great Racket-Tailed Drongo (Dissemurus paradiseus)

168. Dissemurus paradiseus, Linn,

Syst. Nat. i p. 172; Bl. Wald. B. Burm. p. 128; Armstrong. Str. F. iv. p. 321 ; Sharpe, Cal. B. Br. Mus. iii. p. 258 ; Tweedd. Ibis, 1878, p. 80; Hume and Davison, Str. F. vi. p. 219; Legge, B. Ceylon, p. 399; Hume, Str. F. viii. p. 192; Bingham. Str. F. ix. p. 174; Oates, Str. F. x. p. 203; id. B. Br. Burm. i. p. 225. Dicrurus platurus, Vieill. N. Did. d'Hist. Nat. i. p. 588. Edolius Rangoonensis, Gould. P. Z. S., 1836, p. 50. Edolius grandis, Gould. P. Z. S., 1836, p.5- Chibia malabaroides, Hodgs. Ind. Rev. i. p. 325. Dicrurus retifer, Jerd. Mad. Journ. x. p. 241. Edolius cristatellus, Bly. J. A. S. B. xi. p. 171. Edolius brachyphorus, (Temm.) Bonap. Consp. Av. i. p. 351. Edolius paradiseus (Linn.) Jerd. B. Ind. i., p. 435. Edolius malabaricus, (Scop.) Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 437. Dissemurus malabaroides (Hodgs.), Hume, Nests and Eggs, Ind. B. p. 123 ; id., Str. F. iii. p. 101. Dissemurus grandis, (Gould.), Hume, Str. F. viii. p. 92; Oales, Str. F. viii. p. 166 ; id., Oales, B. Br. Burm. i. p. 225.-

The Great Racket-tailed Drongo.

Whole plumage black, glossed with steel blue, except on the inner webs of the quills, the throat, lower abdomen and vent. The outer pair of feathers in both sexes lengthened and furnished with a racket; in the young the gloss is less developed, and the under wing coverts are tipped with while ; bill, legs and feet black; irides red (brown in the young).

Length.-14 inches; wing 6.6; tail 7; outer feathers 13 to 15; tarsus 1.15 ; culmen 1.3.

Hab.- The Indian Peninsula, Ceylon, Andaman Islands, Indo-Chinese and Indo-Burmese Countries, the Malayan Peninsula, Java and Borneo; also Sumatra, Cochin-China and Nepal. It is recorded as occurring from the Himalayas to the Eastern Ghats as far South as N. L. 15°; also at Nellore, Goomsoor, Central and S. India, N.-W. Provinces, Lower Bengal, the Sunderbuns, Assam, Sylhet, Burmah and Tennaserim. Mr. Sharpe has very carefully gone into the question, whether all the species hitherto described as distinct, were so or not. Brachyphorus from Borneo, appeared to be a distinct form, but there was not sufficient ground upon which it could be specifically separated. The specific characters held to constitute a species were the length of tails, the size of the rackets on the outer feathers, and the development of the crest. These Mr. Sharpe has carefully studied, and the outcome is that he has united all under one species {Dissemurus paradiseus). He says that after a careful study of what has been written on the subject of these racket-tailed Drongos, and after comparison of the series in the British Museum collection, he has arrived at the conclusion that between D. malabaroides (a very full-crested form) of the Eastern Himalayas and D. brachyphorus of Borneo, an unbroken chain of races exists. Blyth came to the same conclusion in 1849, Mr-Sharpe adds, that he does not see that the labors of ornithologists have tended to upset this conclusion. His review of these species ends with the following remarks;-"Finding it, however, quite impossible to define exact specific characters for these supposed species, I have united them under one name, and merely keep the specimens arranged under different headings; for I fully believe that a larger series will only show more connecting links, and that it will be found more and more impossible to give specific characters for those differentiated under the various titles mentioned."

The large racket-tailed Drongo affects forests, and well-wooded districts. Like the Drongos in general it selects the extreme end of a bough or branch for its perch, which it now and again leaves for the purpose of capturing a passing insect. It always returns to the same perch. Its song is said to be rich and mellow, especially during the breeding season. The nest is built in a fork on the very tip of a bough on the highest tree in the place, and almost inaccessible. In structure it does not differ from that of its congeners. The eggs, usually three in number, are white or pinkish, marked with reddish brown.

Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds - Vol I (1889)

Ceylon Black Drongo (Dissemurulus lophorhinus)

Dissemuroides lophorhinus (Vieill.), Hume, cat. no. 283 quat.

Colonel Legge says, in his 'Birds of Ceylon': "This species breeds in the south of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in the beginning of April. I have seen the young just able to fly in the Opaté forests at the end of this month; but I have not succeeded in getting any information concerning its nest or eggs."

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 1st Ed. Vol I (1889)

Ceylon Black Drongo (Dissemurulus lophorhinus)

338. Dissemurulus lophorhinus.

The Ceylon Black Drongo.

Dicrurus lophorinus, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d' Hist Nat. ix, p. 587 (1817) ; Walden, Ibis, 1807, p. 468. Dicrurus edoliformis, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xv, p. 297 (1846) ; id. Cat. p. 202; id. Ibis, 1867, p. 305. Dissemuroides edoliformis (Blyth), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iii, p. 256 ; Tweedd. Ibis, 1878, p. 78. Dissemuroides lophorhinus (Vieill.), Hume, S. F. vii, p. 375; id. Cat. no. 283 quat. Dissemurus lophorhinus (Vieill.), Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 396, pl. 17. Dissemurulus lophorhinus ( V.), Oates in Hume's N. & E. 2nd ed. i, p. 215.

Kowda, Kaputa baya, Ceyl.

Coloration. The whole plumage black, highly glossed with blue and green on the tips and margins of the feathers, except on the abdomen and flanks ; under w ing-coverts and axillaries tipped with white.

Iris dull brownish red or dark yellowish red ; bill, legs, and feet black (Legge).

Length about 14; tail about 8; wing 6; tarsus 1.1; bill from gape 1.4 ; depth of fork of tail 2.5.

Distribution. The damp forests of Ceylon up to 3000 feet.

Habits, &c. According to Legge this Drongo breeds in the south of Ceylon at the beginning of April, but the nest and eggs are not known.

Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds - Vol I (1889)

Larger Racket-tailed Drongo (Dissemurus paradiseus)

Edolius paradiseus (Linn.), Jerdon B. Ind. i, p. 435.
Edolius inalabaricus (Scop.), Jerdon t.c. p. 437.
Dissemurus malabaroides (Hodgson), Hume, Rough Draft N. & E. no. 284.

Of the Larger Racket-tailed Drongo Dr. Jerdon tells us that he has "had its nest brought him several times at Darjeeling; rather a large structure of twigs and roots; and the eggs, usually three in number, pinkish white, with claret-colored or purple spots, but they vary a great deal in size, form, and coloring. They breed in April and May."

The solitary egg that I possess of this species, given me by Dr. Jerdon, is probably an exceptionally small one. It is a broad oval, tapering a good deal towards one end, a good deal smaller than the eggs of Chibia hottentotta, and not very much larger than some eggs of D. ater. Its coloration, however, resembles that of Chibia hottentotta, and differs conspicuously, when compared with them (though it may be difficult to make this apparent by description), from those of the true Dicruri. The ground-colour is a dead white, and it is very thinly speckled all over, a little more thickly towards the large end, with minute dots and spots, chiefly of a very pale inky purple, a very few only of the spots being a dark inky purple. The texture of the egg is fine and close, but it is devoid of gloss. This egg measures 1·1 by 0·87 inch.

Mr. Iver Macpherson writes from Mysore: "Kakencotte State Forest, Mysore District. - I send you six eggs, specimens from three different nests. This bird is very common in the heavy forests of the Mysore District, but the only nest I have ever found myself was on the 2nd May, 1880, and contained two or three young birds. I could not distinctly see how many. The nest was fixed towards the end of a branch of a tree, at a considerable height from the ground, and was almost impossible to get at. Had there been eggs in it I could not have taken them.

"The breeding-season I should say was from the beginning of April to the end of May. Three nests, each containing three eggs, were brought to me this season on the 10th and 26th April, and 9th May, 1880, by Cooroobahs (the jungle-tribes in these forests); and although the eggs in each nest vary considerably from one another, there is no doubt in my mind that the eggs belong to one and the same species of bird. It is a bird so well known in these forests that it would be impossible to mistake it for any other. In one case only was the nest brought to me, and this, which unfortunately I did not keep, was loosely made of twigs and roots."

Professor H. Littledale, quoting Mr. J. Davidson, informs us that this species breeds in the east of Godhra, and therefore probably throughout the Panch Mehals.

Mr. J. Inglis, writing from Cachar, says: "The Bhimraj is very common, frequenting thick jungle; it often goes in company with other birds, which it mimics to perfection. It lays about four eggs in a shallow nest made of grass similar to the above; it is very easily tamed. The hill-tribes use the long tail-feathers for ornamenting their head-dresses."

Mr. Oates writes from Pegu: "I have taken the eggs of this species on all dates, from the 30th April to the 16th June. The nest is placed in forks of the outer branches of trees at all heights from 20 to 70 feet, and in all cases they are very difficult to take without breaking the eggs. The nest is a cradle, and the whole of it lies below the fork to which it is attached. It is made entirely of small branches of weeds and creepers, finer as they approach the interior. The egg-cup is generally, but not always, lined with dry grass. The outside dimensions are 6 inches in diameter and 3 deep. The interior measures 4 inches by 2. In one nest the sides are bound to the fork by cotton thread in addition to the usual weeds and creepers."

"The eggs have very little or no gloss, and differ among themselves a good deal in colour. In one clutch the ground-colour is white, spotted and blotched, not very thickly, with neutral tint and inky purple, chiefly at the larger end. Other eggs are pinkish salmon, and the shell is more or less thickly or thinly covered with pale greyish purple or neutral tint, and brownish-yellow or orange-brown spots and dashes. They vary in size from 1·2 to 1·06 in length, and ·85 to ·8 in breadth."

Major C. T. Bingham has the following note: "About five miles below the large village of Meplay, in the district of that name, the main stream of the Meplay river is joined by a tributary, the Theedoquee. On the 4th April I was wading across the mouth of the latter, when my attention was attracted by seeing a pair of the above birds dart from a small tree growing at the very point of the fork where the streams met, and sweep down at my dog, not actually striking him, but nearly doing so. Of course, I made for the tree, and sure enough there, about 15 feet from the ground, in a fork, was a large mass of twigs, above which was placed a neatly made cup-shaped nest, lined with fine black roots, and containing three fresh eggs, densely spotted, chiefly at the larger end, with yellowish brown and sepia, on a ground-colour of dull greenish white. The whole time the peon I had sent up was climbing up and getting the nest, the two birds kept sweeping round and round with harsh cries. I secured them both for the identification of the eggs."

The eggs of this species are typically rather long ovals, generally a good deal pointed towards the small end. They are dull eggs, and never seem to have any perceptible gloss. The ground-colour varies from white to a rich warm pink. The markings are of all sizes and shapes, from large blotches to the tiniest specks, and they vary in every egg, being thickly set in some, thinly in others, but as a rule the largest and most conspicuous markings are about the large end. Again, in colour the markings vary very much: they are red, purplish red, reddish brown, pale purple, and inky grey; generally the eggs exhibit both colored markings reddish and lilac, but sometimes the white-grounded eggs have only these latter. Some of the pink eggs are strikingly handsome, and remind one of those of some of the Bulbuls. Others are dull eggs with only a few irregular grey clouds about the large end, thinly interspersed with brownish-red spots, usually darker about the centre, and elsewhere excessively minutely and thinly speckled with spots too small to render it possible to say what colour they are.

An egg I received from Darjeeling measures 1·1 by 0·87; others received from Mynall from Mr. Bourdillon, and the Kakencotte Forest, Mysore, from Mr. I. Macpherson, vary in length from 1·16 to 1·1, and in breadth from 0·84 to 0·75. Three eggs, taken in Pegu by Mr. Oates, measure from 1·1 to 1·05 in length, by 0·83 to 0·81 in breadth, and are smaller than those the dimensions of which he himself records above.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 1st Ed. Vol I (1889)

Larger Racket-tailed Drongo (Dissemurus paradiseus)

340. Dissemurus paradiseus.

The Larger Racket-tailed Drongo.

Cuculus paradiseus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 172 (1766). Lanius malabaricus, Lath. Ind. Orn. i, p. 66 (1790). Edolius grandis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1836, p. 5. Chibia malabaroides, Hodgs. Ind. Rev. i, p. 325 (1837). Edolius paradiseus (Linn.), Blyth, Cat. p. 201; Jerd. B. I. i, p. 435. Dicrurus (Edolius) paradiseus (Gm.), Horsf. & M. Cat. i, p. 155. Dicrurus (Edolius) malabaricus (Scop.), Horsf. M. Cat. i, p. 157. Edolius malabaricus (Scop.), Jerd. B. I. i, p. 437. Edolius affinis, Tytler, Beavan, Ibis, 1867, p. 323. Dissemurus malabaroides (Hodgs.), Hume, N. & E. p. 193; id. S. F. iii, p. 101; Hume & Dav. S. F. vi, p. 218. Dissemurus affinis (Tytler), Hume,S. F. ii, p. 212. Dissemurus paradiseus (Linn.), Blyth & Wald. Birds Burm. p. 128 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iii, p. 258; Tweedd. Ibis, 1878, p. 80; Hume Dav. S. F. vi, p. 219; Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 399; Hume, Cat. no. 285; Oates, S. F. x, p. 203; id. B. B. i, p. 225; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 156; Oates in Hume's N. & E. 2nd ed. i, p. 217. Dissemurus malabaricus (Scop.), Hume, S. F. iv, p. 395. Dissemurus grandis (Gould), Hume, Cat. no. 284; Oates, S. F. viii, p. 166; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 156; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 101.

The Large Racket-tailed Drongo, The Malabar Racket-tailed Drongo, Jerd.; Bhimraj,Bhring-raj, Hind.; Kalgia, Nep.; Tinka passala poligadu, Tel.; Hati of the Gonds; Parvak or Parvok-pho, Lepch.; Kate-ougal, Mahr.; Maha-Kawuda, Eruttu valem Kuruvi, Tam, in Ceyl. ; Hnet-dau, Burm.

Coloration. The whole plumage black, glossed with blue, except on the inner webs of the quills, the throat, lower abdomen, and vent; the under wing-coverts and axillaries frequently tipped with white.

Iris red ; bill, feet, and claws black ; iris brown in the young.

Length up to 26; middle tad-feathers 5.;5 to 6.5; outer tail-feathers up to 20; wing 5.8 to 7; tarsus 1.1; bill from gape 1.5 to 1.8; crest up to 2.

I believe that it is impossible to separate the larger bird from the Himalayas and Central India from the smaller one from Southern India and Tenasserim, as the two forms are connected together by birds from Khandesh on the one hand and from Pegu on the other. The question has been fully discussed by Hume and Sharpe, the former separating the two races, and the latter uniting them.

Distribution. The western parts of India from Godhra in the Panch Mahals to Travancore; Ceylon; the Nellore ghats; the Tributary Mehals of Orissa; Chutia Nagpur; Sambalpur and Raipur; lower Bengal and the Sundarbans ; the Himalayas from Kumaun to Assam, and thence through Burma to the extreme south of Tenasserim. In the latter locality this Drongo is found in a small form, which becomes still further reduced in size in the Malay peninsula. This small Malay race has been named D. platurus.

Habits, &c. This species inhabits forests and well-wooded localities, and is more sociable than the other Drongos, being found either in pairs or in parties of four or five. It hawks after insects both from lofty stations and from points near the ground. It has a very fine song. The breeding-season lasts from April to June. The nest, which is constructed rather flimsily of twigs, is placed high up in branches of trees. The eggs are white or pinkish, marked with reddish brown and neutral tint, and measure about 1.15 by .82.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol II (1924)

Ceylon Black Drongo (Dissemurulus lophorhinus)

(785) Dissemurulus lophorhinus.

The Ceylon Black Drongo.

Dicrurus lophorhinus Vieill., Nouv. Dict, d'Hist. Nat. ix, p. 587 (1817) (Ceylon). Dissemurulus lophorhinus. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 322.

Vernacular names. Kowda, Kaputa baya (Ceylon); Val, Kari Karuvi (Tel., Travancore).

Description. Whole plumage black, glossed with steel-blue above, on exposed portions of wings and tail and also on the breast; forehead and tuft deep velvety-black; abdomen dull black; axillaries and under wing-coverts tipped with white.

Colours of soft parts. Iris dull brownish red or dark yellowish red; bill, legs and feet black.

Measurements. Wing 136 to 146 mm.; tail 150 to 182 mm.; tarsus 24 to 25 mm.; culmen from nostril 20 to 21 mm.

Young birds are duller; greyer on the abdomen and with much larger white tips to the axillaries and under wing-coverts. One young bird has a few white specks on the flanks, indicating that these and the abdomen are possibly more or less barred with white in the Nestling.

Distribution. Ceylon and South Travancore.

Nidification. This fine Drongo breeds in Ceylon and Travancore during March and April between the foot-hills and damp forests of the plains up to about 3,000 feet. The nest is described by Mr. Stewart as a shallow cup or cradle just like that of Dissemurus and is placed in quite similar positions in high trees in forest.

The eggs number two to four and are very like those of Dissemurus paradiseus but the ground-colour never seems to be as rich a salmon as it sometimes is in those of the Backet-tailed Drongo. The ground varies from almost white to a pale salmon often with a tint of lilac or mauve in it. The markings consist of blotches and spots of reddish brown with secondary ones of pale neutral tint and lavender. These are usually distributed rather sparingly over the whole surface but rather more numerously towards the larger end. Fifty eggs average 27.8 x 20.1 mm.: maxima 30.2 x 20.7 and 29.1 x 22.0 mm.: minima 26.0 x 21.0 and 27.2 x 20.0 mm.

Habits. This Drongo keeps entirely to the interior of damp-dense forest otherwise having much the same habits as the common species of Drongos. It seizes most of its prey on the wing and has a very fine vocabulary of notes both of its own and in mimicry of other birds. Although not gregarious it is very sociable in its habits, several pairs often feeding together in close propinquity. Like all the family it is very plucky and leads the small birds in their pursuit of owls, kites or other birds of prey.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol II (1924)

Ceylon Large Racket-tailed Drongo (Dissemurus paradiseus ceylonensis)

(793) Dissemurus paradiseus ceylonensis.

The Ceylon Large Racket-tailed Drongo.

Dissemurus ceylonensis Sharpe, Cat. B. M., iii, p. 264 (1877) (Ceylon).

Vernacular names. Maha Kawuda, Eratta valem Kuravi (Tam. in Ceylon).

Description. The smallest of all the subspecies with a comparatively still shorter tail, smaller crest, and smaller bill.

Measurements. Wing 139 to 156 mm., average 146 mm.; tail up to 340 mm.; culmen 27 to 28 mm.

Distribution. Ceylon only.

Nidification. That of the species. Eggs taken by Mr. J. Stewart average 26.3 x 21.0 mm. and were taken in April.

Habits, Those of the species.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol II (1924)

Assam Large Racket-tailed Drongo (Dissemurus paradiseus grandis)

(789) Dissemurus paradiseus grandis.

The Assam Large Racket-tailed Drongo.

Edolius grandis Gould, P. Z. S., 1836, p. 5 (Assam). Dissemurus paradiseus. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 325 (part.).

Vernacular names. Bhimraj, Bhringraj (Hind.); Kaljia(Nep); Parvak or Parvak-pho (Lepcha); Dao-rajah gaschim (Cachari).

Description. This is the largest of all the races of this species, with a magnificent crest reaching oyer the whole crown and a very long tail with large rockets.

Measurements. Wing 155 to 182 mm.; tail up to 560 mm. and often exceeding 500 mm.; culmen 32 to 35 mm. and stout in proportion.

Distribution. The Himalayas from Mussoorie to Eastern Assam; South to Sambalpur, Raipur and the Northern reaches of the Godavari River; North Chin and Kachin Hills; Northern Shan States and Yunnan.

Nidification. This fine Drongo breeds during April and May from the level of the plains* up to about 4,500 feet, but not often above 3,000 feet. The nest is the usual cradle swung in the fork of some small branch at the top of, or outside, some tree standing in forest, deep or open, or in well-wooded open country. It is fragile-looking, but strong in fact, being composed of very fine twigs, weed-stems, roots and grasses well interlaced and very firmly attached to the supporting fork, round which the materials are wound and then strengthened with cobwebs. The lining consists of a scanty amount of grass-stems and the outside is often more or less decorated with lichen, scraps of moss, bark, etc, It measures anything between 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 inches in diameter by less than half its width in" depth. Most nests are placed high up in big trees and are very difficult to get at but a few are built within 15 or 20 feet of the ground. The eggs number three or four and vary rather less than do those of most Drongos. In shape they are rather long and pointed; in colour they vary from pure white, which is rare, to a rich cream, marked with primary blotches or spots and specks of some shade of reddish, brown or purple and with secondary marks of lavender and pale neutral tint. In most eggs the markings are fairly numerous at the larger end and sparse elsewhere hut they vary greatly in this respect. Forty-eight eggs average 30.4 X 21.6 mm.: maxima 32.4x 22.5 mm.; minima 26.0 x 20.8 and 27.0 x 20.0 mm.

Habits. Preferably this Drongo frequents dense damp forests but it is also found in all well-wooded country and is especially partial to bamboo-jungle, in which grow scattered big trees. In a natural state they are entirely insectivorous, though they may swallow a great deal of honey together with the insects they extract from flowers, but in a state of captivity they will eat plantains greedily. Bees are swallowed by them in great numbers and without any injury and they also devour every kind of beetle, their larvae and butterflies. Their notes are all most musical, and, though they have no really connected song, one mellow whistle follows another in such rapid succession that it is much the same in effect. They mimic many other sounds as well as those of other birds and a fine male bird, for many years the unconfined pet of the Sepoys in one of the N. Cachar stockades, sounded the reveille every morning with absolute correctness and punctuality.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol II (1924)

Malabar Large Racket-tailed Drongo (Dissemurus paradiseus malabaricus)

(792) Dissemurus paradiseus malabaricus.

The Malabar Large Racket-tailed Drongo.

Lanius malabaricus Lath., Ind. Orn., i, p. 66 (1790) (Malabaria). Dissemurus paradiseus. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 325 (part.).

Vernacular names. Bhimraj, Bhringraj (Hind.); Tinka passala poligada (Tel.); Hati (Gond.); Kute-ougal (Mahr.).

Description. Very close to D. p. rangoonensis, but smaller and with a smaller crest and smaller weaker bill.

Measurements. Wing 142 to 167 mm., average 152 mm.; tail-up to 415 mm.; culmen 26 to 29 mm.

Distribution. The whole of India South of the range given for D. p. grandis, birds at the meeting-places of the two races being, of course, intermediate between them.

Nidification. The Malabar Racket-tailed Drongo breeds in the months of March, April and May from Travancore to Khandalla, Nassic and Thana etc. in the Bombay Presidency. The nest is like that of the other races and is usually built very high up in a forest-tree. The eggs number two or three, very rarely four, and forty-eight eggs average 28.1 x 21.1 mm.: maxima 32.2 X 21.5 and 27.6 x 22.8 mm.; minima 26.6 x 20.0 and 27.0 x 20.0 mm.

Habits. Those of the species.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol II (1924)

Nicobar Large Racket-tailed Drongo (Dissemurus paradiseus nicobariensis)

(791) Dissemurus paradiseus nicobariensis.

The Nicobar Large Racket-tailed Drongo.

Dissemurus paradiseus nicobariensis Stuart Baker, Nov. Zool., xxv, p. 302 (1918) (Kondel, Nicobars).

Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. Differs from D. p. otiosus in being decidedly smaller, in having a shorter tail with small rackets only measuring up to 54 mm. and a smaller weaker bill.

Measurements. Wing 146 to 153 mm., average 149 mm.; tail up to 425 mm.; culmen 27 to 29 mm.

Distribution. Nicobars only.

Nidification and Habits. Nothing recorded.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol II (1924)

Andaman Racket-tailed Drongo (Dissemurus paradiseus otiosus)

(790) Dissemurus paradiseus otiosus.

The Andaman Racket-tailed Drongo.

Dissemurus paradiseus otiosus Richmond, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., xxv, p. 291 (1902) (Andamans).

Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. A large bird with no crest, a long and very powerful bill and a long tail with broad rackets up to 70 mm. in length.

Measurements, Wing 152 to 167 mm., average 162 mm.; tail up to 450 mm.; culmen 29 to 34 and averaging over 32 mm.

Distribution. Andamans.

Nidification and Habits. Nothing recorded.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol II (1924)

Siam Large Racket-tailed Drongo (Dissemurus paradiseus paradiseus)

(787) Dissemurus paradiseus paradiseus.

The Siam Large Racket-tailed Drongo.

Cuculus paradiseus Linn., S. N., ed. xii, p. 172 (1766) (Siam). Dissemurus paradiseus. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 325.

Vernacular names. Nok-seng-sao-hang-buang (Siam); Lin-mi-rui-ami-m-gua (Tenasserim).

Description. Whole plumage black, glossed with blue, except on the inner webs of the wing-quills, throat, abdomen and vent; the axillaries and under tail-coverts are tipped with white in all but very old birds.

Colours of soft parts. Iris red to crimson-lake; bill, feet and claws black.

Measurements. Wing 138 to 163 mm.; tail up to about 420 mm., generally about 400 mm.; tarsus about 28 mm.; culmen 27 to 30 mm.

Young are browner, less glossed and have the white under wing-spots more pronounced.

Distribution. Central and South Siam and Peninsular Burma. Birds from the West run rather larger than birds from the East, North of the Malay Peninsula. Thus a series of specimens from Tavoy and Mergui have a wing-average of 153 mm., as against 143 for Siam birds. On the other hand, the crests and bills are small as in that bird and the tail also is somewhat shorter with smaller rackets.

Nidification. Mr. E. G. Herbert says that this Drongo breeds in May, building its nest in mango-trees, in gardens and the outskirts of villages, making a flimsy nest, " cup-shaped, but very shallow, of tiny creepers, roots and stems of grasses, often so thinly put together that one can see from below if there is anything in it. The materials are bound round the sides of a horizontal fork at the end of a branch, so that the nest hangs in the fork like a cradle."

"The position of the nest is on the very fringe of the tree at about 20 feet from the ground, so it is quite inaccessible from the tree itself."

The eggs, which number two or three only, are long ovals; ground-colour white or cream to warm pink with blotches, few at the smaller end, numerous at the larger, of reddish brown, purple or claret and secondary markings of lavender or pale grey. Twenty eggs average 28.6 x 20.0 mm. : maxima 33.2 x 20.2 and 30.2 x 22.0 mm.; minima 26.9 x 20.0 mm. and 30.0 x 19.5 mm.

Habits. The Siam Large Racket-tailed Drongo is a bird both of the forests and of the open country round about villages and houses and may often be found in gardens. Where the food-sup ply is sufficient two or three pairs may often be seen feeding together, for, though a very bold bird against all vermin and raptores, it is far from quarrelsome or a bully. It feeds entirely on the wing, generally selecting a post of observation on some high branch, from which it swoops in graceful flight after passing insects, returning, like a Shrike, to its perch to devour them. Like a Shrike it also sometimes holds its prey, if large enough, in its claws when feeding. Birds of this species have been known to seize and eat small lizards and tiny frogs but it keeps principally to insects, grasshoppers and locusts forming a large proportion of its diet. Its calls are very sweet and full and it has a strong, though short, melodious song. It is, like all the races of this species, an excellent mimic.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol II (1924)

Burmese Large Racket-tailed Drongo (Dissemurus paradiseus rangoonensis)

(788) Dissemurus paradiseus rangoonensis.

The Burmese Large Racket-tailed Drongo.

Edolius rangoonensis Gould, P. Z. S., 1836, p. 5 (Rangoon). • Dissemurus paradiseus. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 325 (part.).

Vernacular names. Hnet-dau (Burmese).

Description. A rather larger bird than D. p. paradiseus with a longer fuller crest and longer tail with wider longer rackets.

Colours of soft parts. The same in all races.

Measurements. Wing 147 to 170 mm.; tail up to 435 mm.; culmen 28 to 32 mm.

Distribution. Central and South Central Burma, South Chin and Kachin Hills; South Shan States and Northern Siam.

Nidification. Very little on record, but apparently not differing from that of the last bird, though it is more of a forest and less of a cultivated-country bird than that race. Messrs. Hop wood and Mackenzie took most of their nests on pynkado trees (Xylia dolabriformis) standing in open bamboo-jungle on the edge of roads. The few eggs I have seen measured about 29.0 X 21.0 mm.

Habits. Those of the genus. This race is found from the foothills up to 5,000 feet during the breeding-season and throughout the plains in Winter, haunting both forest and more or less cultivated land as long as it is well wooded.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VII (1930)

Dissemurulus lophorinus

Dissemurulus lophorinus Vieillot.

Dicrurus lophorinus Vieillot, .Nouv. Dict. d'Hist. Nat,, nouv, ed., vol. ix, p. 587, 1817; based on Levaill. Ois. Afr., pl.; Africa in errores Ceylon.

Dicrurus edoliformis Blyth, J. A. S. B., vol. xv, p. 297, 1846 ; Ceylon.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VII (1930)

Dissemurus paradiseus ceylonensis

Dissemurus paradiseus ceylonensis Sharpe.

Dissemurus ceylonensis Sharpe, Cut. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. iii,. p. 264, 1877 : Ceylon.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VII (1930)

Dissemurus paradiseus grandis

Dissemurus paradiseus grandis Gould.

Edolius grandis Gould, P. Z. S., 1886, p. 5, Apl. 9, 1836 : Nepal.

Chibia malabaroides Hodgs., Ind. Review, vol. i, p. 325, Nov. 1836 : Nepal.

Edolius bengalensis Blyth, J. A. S. B., vol. xv, p. 295, 1846, ex Hay MS., as synonym.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VII (1930)

Dissemurus paradiseus malabaricus

Dissemurus paradiseus malabaricus Latham.

Lanius malabaricus Latham, Index Orn., vol. i, p. 66, 1790: Malabar.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VII (1930)

Dissemurus paradiseus nicobariensis

Dissemurus paradiseus nicobariensis Stuart Baker.

Dissemurus paradiseus nicobariensis Stuart Baker, Nov. Zool., vol. xxv, p. 302, 1918 : Rondel, Nicobars.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VII (1930)

Dissemurus paradiseus otiosus

Dissemurus paradiseus otiosus Richmond.

Dissemurus paradiseus otiosus Richmond, Proc U.S. Nat. Mus., vol. xxv, p. 291, 1902: An damans.

Edolius affinis Beavan, Ibis, 1867, p. 323, July, ex Tytler MS.: Andamans ; not Edolius affinis Blyth, 1842, ante.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VII (1930)

Dissemurus paradiseus paradiseus

Dissemurus paradiseus Linn.

Dissemurus paradiseus paradiseus Linn.

Cuculus paradises Linn., Syst. Nat., 12th ed., vol. i, p. 172, 1766, ex Briss., A v., vol. iv, p. 151, pl. 14, fig. 1: Siam.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VII (1930)

Dissemurus paradiseus rangoonensis

Dissemurus paradiseus rangoonensis Gould.

Edolius rangoonensis Gould, P. Z. S., 1836, p. 5, Apl. 9 : Rangoon.

Popular Handbook Of Indian Birds (1949)

Large Racket-Tailed Drongo (Dissemurus paradiseus)

THE LARGE RACKET-TAILED DRONGO
DISSEMURUS PARADISEUS (Linnaeus)

Description:-
Length to end of central tail-feathers 14 inches ; outer tail-feathers up to 13 inches extra. Sexes alike. Entire plumage black, glossed with blue except on the inner webs of the wing-quills, throat and lower abdomen; some white spots under the wing.

Iris crimson ; bill and legs black.

An erect crest of long hackle-like plumes on the forehead falling backwards over the nape; the outer pair of tail-feathers greatly elongated, the middle portion of the shaft webless, the terminal four inches having the outer web very narrow and the inner web broad and twisted upwards ; a twist in the shaft reverses the apparent position of these webs.

Field Identification:-
A glossy black bird, immediately identified by the plumed crest and the extraordinary development of the outer tail-feathers into rackets on the end of the wire-like shafts.

Distribution:-
Throughout the greater part of India, Burma, and Ceylon to Siam and the Malay Peninsula. It has been divided into a number of races differing in the size and quality of the crest and tail. D. p. grandis breeds along the Himalayas from Kumaon to Eastern Assam and through to Yunnan, from the plains up to 3000 and occasionally 4000 feet; it extends east of a line roughly from Kumaon to Mount Aboo southwards to Sambalpur, Raipur and the northern reaches of the Godavari River. D. p. malabaricus, an altogether smaller bird, occupies the rest of India south of the above range. In Ceylon there are two races, both still smaller, one D, p. ceylonensis confined to the dry zone, and the Other with different outer tail feathers, D. p. tophorhinus restricted to the wet zone. It is a resident species.

This species must not be confused with the Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo (Bhringa remifer) of the Eastern Himalayas, Assam and Burma which has the rackets fully webbed on both sides, lacks the crest and has the feathers of the forehead produced in a curious flat pad over the base of the beak.

Habits, etc:-
This wonderful Drongo, known familiarly as the Bhimraj, is a forest species, inhabiting by preference the densest and dampest of the Indian forests, Drongo (1/5 nat. size) though it is also found in any well-wooded country and even comes into gardens. It appears to have a special partiality for bamboo jungle and is entirely arboreal in its habits. It is more sociable than other Drongos, often going about in parties of four and five. These parties appear to wander a good deal in search of food, flying from tree to tree, swooping at insects on the wing or capturing them from the branches. The bird also hunts from a fixed station, returning again and again to the same tree. Its food consists of a variety of insects, wasps, beetles, butterflies, locusts and their larva:;, and it is accustomed to devour quantities of bees.

The call is very striking, beginning with a harsh chuckle and ending in a peculiar metallic creaking cry, expressed by the syllables tse-rung tse-rung. It has in addition a number of musical calls and whistles and is justly celebrated as a very fine mimic, imitating all the birds of the locality. It makes a delightful pet, fearless and most amusing with its imitations of noises about the house and garden.

The breeding season is from March to May, and, when nesting, the bird is accustomed to harry passing birds of prey. The nest is the usual cup-cradle of the Drongos, slung in the fork of a small outside branch of a tree, usually at a great height from the ground. It is composed of fine twigs and grass stems well interlaced and firmly attached to the fork and strengthened with cobwebs ; the outside is usually decorated with lichen, moss and scraps of bark.

The clutch consists of three or four eggs. They are rather long and pointed, fine in texture and with little gloss. The groundcolour varies from white to rich cream, marked with blotches, spots and Specks of reddish-brown or purple and secondary markings of lavender and pale neutral tint. The markings tend to collect towards the broad end.

The egg measures about 1.15 by o.82 inches.

Fig. 25-Large Racket-tailed

Museum Collections

Number of Museum Specimen Records Found : 57 for Dicrurus paradiseus

No.	Museum	Species	Collection Deatils	Collector	Date of Collection	Record	Locality	GBIF Portal Link
1	Yale University Peabody Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	YPM ORN ORN.042853	A. M. Primrose		Specimen	Sylhet District Bangladesh Southern Asia	Link
2	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 98353			Specimen	Bagh Bahar Cachar Assam India Southern Asia	Link
3	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 276180			Specimen	Madhya Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
4	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 310185			Specimen	Malabar Kerala India Southern Asia	Link
5	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 310186			Specimen	Klandeish Bombay India Southern Asia	Link
6	Yale University Peabody Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus	YPM ORN ORN.015229			Specimen	Malabar Hills District Maharashtra state India Southern Asia	Link
7	Yale University Peabody Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	YPM ORN ORN.042852	A. M. Primrose		Specimen	Cachar District Assam State India Southern Asia	Link
8	National Chemical Laboratory	Dicrurus paradiseus otiosus	NCL INDOBIS-DATASET1 64413			Unknown	Andaman Islands India Southern Asia	Link
9	National Chemical Laboratory	Dicrurus paradiseus nicobariensis	NCL INDOBIS-DATASET1 64415			Unknown	Andaman Islands India Southern Asia	Link
10	Royal Ontario Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	ROM Birds 49684	Osmaston, B B	1903-02-01 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Tista Bridge, Darjeeling Rajshahi Bangladesh Southern Asia	Link
11	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 234034		1936-12-19 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Sevok Forest West Bengal India Southern Asia	Link
12	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 234033		1936-12-20 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Rohatang Darjiling West Bengal India Southern Asia	Link
13	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 234026		1936-12-30 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Siliguri Darjiling West Bengal India Southern Asia	Link
14	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 234035		1937-02-23 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Nilambur Kerala India Southern Asia	Link
15	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 234010		1938-01-14 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
16	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 234011		1938-01-14 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
17	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 234012		1938-01-14 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
18	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 234013		1938-01-16 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
19	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 234015		1938-01-23 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
20	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 234014		1938-01-26 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
21	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 234016		1938-01-27 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
22	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 234017		1938-01-27 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
23	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 234018		1938-02-03 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
24	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 234019		1938-02-17 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
25	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 234020		1938-02-26 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Supa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
26	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	UMMZ Bird 234375	Conover, H B	1940-02-22 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Dinapur Assam India Southern Asia	Link
27	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus rangoonensis	FMNH Birds 234021		1946-07-08 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Bichhia Madhya Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
28	Yale University Peabody Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	YPM ORN ORN.100030	S. D. Ripley	1946-12-10 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Tezu Mishmi Hills District Assam State India Southern Asia	Link
29	Yale University Peabody Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	YPM ORN ORN.009837	S. D. Ripley	1947-01-10 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Tezu Mishmi Hills District Assam State India Southern Asia	Link
30	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 234028		1947-02-09 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Nichlaul Gorakhpur Uttar Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
31	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 234030		1947-02-10 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Nichlaul Gorakhpur Uttar Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
32	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 234029		1947-02-11 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Nichlaul Gorakhpur Uttar Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
33	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 234027		1947-02-14 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Nichlaul Gorakhpur Uttar Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
34	Yale University Peabody Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	YPM ORN ORN.009839	S. D. Ripley	1947-03-10 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Nilgiri Hills Nilgiris District Madras State India Southern Asia	Link
35	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus rangoonensis	FMNH Birds 234025		1947-10-07 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Ramanujganj Surguja Madhya Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
36	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus rangoonensis	FMNH Birds 234023		1947-10-21 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Gargori Surguja Madhya Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
37	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus rangoonensis	FMNH Birds 234024		1947-10-28 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Khuri Surguja Madhya Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
38	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	FMNH Birds 234022		1948-03-12 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Salem Salem Tamil Nadu India Southern Asia	Link
39	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 189752		1949-01-08 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Baihar Balaghat Madhya Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
40	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 189751		1949-01-20 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Baihar Balaghat Madhya Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
41	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 189753		1949-01-20 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Baihar Balaghat Madhya Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
42	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 211248		1949-01-21 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Bhoura, 22 mi E Baihar Balaghat Madhya Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
43	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 189754		1949-01-25 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Baihar Balaghat Madhya Pradesh India Southern Asia	Link
44	Yale University Peabody Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	YPM ORN ORN.009838	S. D. Ripley	1949-02-20 00:00:00.0	Specimen	India Southern Asia	Link
45	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 234032		1949-04-27 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Nongpoh Khasi Hills Meghalaya India Southern Asia	Link
46	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	FMNH Birds 234031		1949-06-21 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Nongpoh Khasi Hills Meghalaya India Southern Asia	Link
47	Yale University Peabody Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	YPM ORN ORN.024482	N. G. Pillai	1951-05-22 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Travancore India Southern Asia	Link
48	Yale University Peabody Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	YPM ORN ORN.024480	N. G. Pillai	1951-05-24 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Travancore India Southern Asia	Link
49	Yale University Peabody Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus	YPM ORN ORN.024481	N. G. Pillai	1951-10-13 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Travancore India Southern Asia	Link
50	Yale University Peabody Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	YPM ORN ORN.087924	R. A. Paynter	1958-02-21 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Rangamati Chittagong Hill Tracts District Bangladesh Southern Asia	Link
51	Yale University Peabody Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	YPM ORN ORN.087925	R. A. Paynter	1958-02-23 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Rangamati Chittagong Hill Tracts District Bangladesh Southern Asia	Link
52	Yale University Peabody Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus grandis	YPM ORN ORN.087923	R. A. Paynter	1958-03-06 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Chittagong Hill Tracts District Bangladesh Southern Asia	Link
53	Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History	Dicrurus paradiseus rangoonensis	LACM Birds 32937	STAGER, K E	1959-02-26 00:00:00.0	Specimen	SUPKHAR BALAGHAT FOREST DIST MADHYA PRADESH India Southern Asia	Link
54	Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History	Dicrurus paradiseus rangoonensis	LACM Birds 32938	STAGER, K E	1959-03-17 00:00:00.0	Specimen	SUPKHAR BALAGHAT FOREST DIST MADHYA PRADESH India Southern Asia	Link
55	Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History	Dicrurus paradiseus rangoonensis	LACM Birds 32936	STAGER, K E	1959-03-25 00:00:00.0	Specimen	MUKHI BALAGHAT FOREST DIST MADHYA PRADESH India Southern Asia	Link
56	Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History	Dicrurus paradiseus rangoonensis	LACM Birds 32939	STAGER, K E	1959-03-25 00:00:00.0	Specimen	MUKHI BALAGHAT FOREST DIST MADHYA PRADESH India Southern Asia	Link
57	Field Museum	Dicrurus paradiseus otiosus	FMNH Birds 310189		1973-04-17 00:00:00.0	Specimen	South Andaman Id Andaman Is India Southern Asia	Link

Biodiversity occurrence data provided by: (Accessed through GBIF Data Portal, 2009-08-06)

Data Providers

Field Museum ( 36 Records )

Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History ( 4 Records )

National Chemical Laboratory ( 2 Records )

Royal Ontario Museum ( 1 Records )

University of Michigan Museum of Zoology ( 1 Records )

Yale University Peabody Museum ( 13 Records )

Sound/Call

20 calls found for Dicrurus paradiseus

Remarks: Ssp: brachyphorus.
Call Type: Call (B)

Remarks: Ssp: brachyphorus.
Call Type: ? (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Ssp: brachyphorus.
Call Type: ? (B)

Remarks: Lots of mimicry, including a Changeable Hawk-Eagle?
Call Type: mimicry (E)

Remarks: Ssp: microlophus. imitating Blue-winged Pitta?
Call Type: calls (B)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (B)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: calls (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Ssp: paradiseus.
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: mimicking scaly-breasted partridge
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (B)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: (B)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Ssp: paradiseus.
Call Type: subsong & song phrase (B)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

The Bird Calls are embedded through xeno-canto.org See Terms of Use xeno-canto.org

Links

Cite this website along with its URL as:
Anonymous. 2013 Dicrurus paradiseus - Linnaeus, 1766 (Greater Racket-tailed Drongo ) in Deomurari, A.N. (Compiler), 2010. AVIS-IBIS (Avian Information System - Indian BioDiversity Information System) v. 1.0. Foundation For Ecological Security, India retrieved on 05/19/2013

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