Hair-crested Drongo
Dicrurus hottentottus
A large and stocky black drongo with glimmering blue iridescence on the wings, breast, and neck. Note triangular tail with flaring tips that curl out sideways and a large, curved bill with which it crushes insects and probes for nectar. Long, thin, hair-like feathers on its forehead, present only in some subspecies, may be visible at close range. Birds in Java and Sulawesi have white eyes. Encountered singly or in small flocks; also joins foraging flocks with other species. Found in a wide range of forested habitats, where it often uses exposed perches. Calls include a varied jumble of various harsh screeches, nasal yelps, metallic sounds, and beeps.
Taxonomy
In 1760, French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the hair-crested drongo in his Ornithologie based on a specimen that he mistakenly believed had been collected from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. He used the French name Le choucas du Cap de Bonne Espérance and the Latin Monedula Capitis Bonae Spei. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. When in 1766, Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the 12th edition, he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson. One of these was the hair-crested drongo. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Corvus hottentottus and cited Brisson's work. The type locality was subsequently corrected to Chandannagar in West Bengal. The specific name hottentottus is from "Hottentot", a term formerly used for the Khoikhoi, a nomadic pastoral people of southwest Africa. This species is now placed in the genus Dicrurus that was introduced for the drongos by French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1816.<p>Twelve subspecies are currently recognised, although some have been proposed as separate species:<p>Notes:<p>Several other former subspecies are now recognised as separate species or subspecies of other species in the species complex, the Tablas drongo (Dicrurus menagei) and the Palawan drongo (Dicrurus palawanensis, including subspecies cuyensis).
- Scientific name
- Dicrurus hottentottus
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Dicruridae
- Genus
- Dicrurus
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Striking and familiar backyard bird throughout most of eastern North America; also occurs in the southwestern U.S. and fairly extensively in Mexico. Crest, large red bill, and long tail render this species distinctive even with a poor view. Male is entirely red with a black face. Female is brownish overall with redder wings and tail. Usually seen in pairs or small groups near dense cover, especially thickets near forest edges. Frequently visits bird feeders. Listen for high-pitched metallic chips and series of loud, sweet whistles.
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