Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus)
Order: PASSERIFORMES
Family: DICRURIDAE Drongos
Scientific name: Dicrurus paradiseus
English name: Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Characteristic: Size 32 cm. Body slim covered with glossy black plumage; a distinctive tuft of erect feathers present at bill base; tail long, slightly forked apically, with a pair of long shafts with only one side of vane at the tip. Immature has short crest and lacking long shafts.
Distribution: India, China, SE Asia, Hainan, the Greater Sundas. Found throughout Thailand.
Habitat: Dipterocarp forest, dry evergreen forest, bamboo forest, from the lowland up to the elevation of 1,700 m.
Habit: Usually observed perching at exposed spots to keep its eyes on passing preys. Sometimes descending to forage among the shrubbery for insects and small animals. The breeding time is from March-June; when it lays a clutch of 3-4 eggs.
Status: Ubiquitous resident. At Sakaerat this bird is remarkably common in the rainy season.
