By Patrick Maloney
Geographic Range
Greater racket-tailed drongos are found throughout Southeast Asia. They are found in India, east of Bangladesh and south of the Himalayas. They are also found in southern China, on the island of Hainan, and in parts of Indonesia. ("Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia", 2005; Ali, 1941)
Habitat
(6560 ft; avg. 4920 ft)
Greater racket-tailed drongos inhabit a wide variety of habitats. They can be found in moist deciduous forests, in the low hills of the Himalayas and also in wide-open plains. Populations are most dense in the foothills of the Himalayas. They can be found from sea level to 2,000 meters. ("Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia", 2005; Ali, 1941; Roberts, 1992)
These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
tropical 
; terrestrial .
Terrestrial Biomes:
forest ; rainforest ; mountains .
Physical Description
(2.46 to 4.4 oz; avg. 3.52 oz)
(12.2 to 14.17 in; avg. 12.99 in)
(0.51 to 0.67 in; avg. 0.59 in)
Greater racket-tailed drongos can weigh from 70 to 125 grams and are 31 to 36 centimeters in body length, not including their elongated tail feathers. Males and females are similar in appearance. The body is glossy black with shades of blue and green. The blue extends from behind their reddish-brown eyes to about halfway down the back.The wings and the tuft on the top of the head are green with a hint of pale yellow on the very tips of the wings. Greater racket-tailed drongos have two wirelike ‘racket’ tipped feathers that extend beyond the tail. (Ali, 1941; Roberts, 1992)
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry .
Sexual dimorphism: sexes alike.
Reproduction
Breeding occurs once yearly.
Breeding occurs between February and July, depending on the region.
Greater racket-tailed drongos form monogamous pairs during breeding season. There is some evidence that young help with raising subsequent broods as well. ("Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia", 2005)
Mating systems:
monogamous .
Greater racket-tailed drongos breed from March to June but there is quite a bit of variation in the breeding season in different localities. Birds found in the northern parts of their range tend to mate much later in the season, between June and July. Populations in more southern, tropical regions tend to mate much earlier, around February. ("Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia", 2005; Ali, 1941; Roberts, 1992)
The nests of greater racket-tailed drongos are saucer-like in shape. They are made of intricately intertwined roots and leaves with fine materials lining the inside. They are held together with cobwebs and camouflaged with lichens. The nests are often found at a horizontal fork of two branches. Greater racket-tailed drongos tend to lay 3 to 4 eggs. ("Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia", 2005; Roberts, 1992)
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous .
Nesting duties, constructing the nest, incubation, and rearing young are shared between males and females. Males and females also continue to watch over their young even after they leave the nest.
Parental investment:
altricial ; pre-fertilization (provisioning, protecting: female); pre-hatching/birth (provisioning: female, protecting: male, female); pre-weaning/fledging (provisioning: male, female, protecting: male, female); pre-independence (provisioning: male, female, protecting: male, female); post-independence association with parents.
Lifespan/Longevity
The lifespan of greater racket-tailed drongos is not known.
Behavior
Greater racket-tailed drongos can normally be found in hunting groups that are made up of other bird species, mainly jungle babblers (Timaliidae). They are usually observed along, in pairs, or in small groups. They are very territorial. Greater racket-tailed drongos have a style of flight similar to that of other drongos (Dicruridae), which includes a lot of dipping with short spurts of flapping followed by a period of gliding. The ‘rackets’ on the end of the tail make the bird’s flight excessively noisy and make a persistent humming noise. ("Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia", 2005; Ali, 1941)
Home Range
The home range of greater racket-tailed drongos is not known.
Communication and Perception
Greater racket-tailed drongos have a large repertoire of calls that consist of bell-like notes, whistles, warbles, and metallic sounding calls that are typical of most drongos. Greater racket-tailed drongos are convincing mimics, which is useful when traveling in the mixed hunting flocks in which they are usually found. (Ali, 1941)
Other communication keywords:
mimicry .
Food Habits
Greater racket-tailed drongos feed on the nectar of plants but also eat insects including ants, bees, beetles, dragonflies, locusts, mantids, moths, and termites. Like other drongos, they catch their prey in mid-air or pick them off of surfaces, and then carry prey back to the nest in their claws. ("Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia", 2005; Ali, 1941)
Primary Diet:
carnivore (insectivore ); herbivore (nectarivore ).
Animal Foods:
insects.
Plant Foods:
nectar.
Predation
Predation on greater racket-tailed drongos has not been reported, although it is likely that a variety of arboreal predators, such as snakes, prey on eggs, nestlings, and young.
Ecosystem Roles
Greater racket-tailed drongos act as predators in the ecosystems they inhabit by preying on a multitude of insects. They are also capable of pollinating plants because they feed on nectar. (Ali, 1941; Roberts, 1992)
Key ways these animals impact their ecosystem:
pollinates.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Greater racket-tailed drongos have no negative impact on human society. ("Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia", 2005)
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Greater racket-tailed drongos are important members of native ecosystems, but otherwise have no known economic importance for humans. ("Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia", 2005)
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: [link]:
Least Concern.
US Migratory Bird Act: [link]:
No special status.
US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.
CITES: [link]:
No special status.
State of Michigan List: [link]:
No special status.
Greater racket-tailed drongos are not currently considered threatened. ("Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia", 2005)
For More Information
Find Dicrurus paradiseus information at
Contributors
Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
Patrick Maloney (author), Kalamazoo College. Ann Fraser (editor, instructor), Kalamazoo College.
