Lesser racket-tailed drongo

Lesser racket-tailed drongo
D. r. tectirostris Pokhara, Nepal
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Dicruridae
Genus:	Dicrurus
Species:	D. remifer
Binomial name
Dicrurus remifer (Temminck, 1823)

The lesser racket-tailed drongo (Dicrurus remifer) is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

Description

Lesser racket-tailed drongo is about 25–27·5 cm long, excluding outermost tail feathers (c. 30–40 cm to end of tail); average weight of males 39–49 g, and females 35·5–44 g. It can be confused with the Greater racket-tailed drongo, but it doesn't have crest on head.

Taxonomy

There are 4 recognised subspecies of lesser racket-tailed drongo

• D. r. tectirostris (Hodgson, 1836) – lower Himalayas from N India (Uttarakhand) E to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, NE Bangladesh, S China (SE Xizang, W & S Yunnan and SW Guangxi), Myanmar (except extreme S), N Thailand, N Laos and N Vietnam (S to Huê).
• D. r. peracensis (E. C. S. Baker, 1918) – S Myanmar (Tenasserim) and SW & S Thailand S to N Peninsular Malaysia (S Selangor and S Pahang), S Laos and S Vietnam (S to S Annam).
• D. r. lefoli (Delacour & Jabouille, 1928) – mountains of S Cambodia (Cardamom and Elephant Ranges).
• D. r. remifer (Temminck, 1823) – Sumatra (Barisan Range and Batak Highlands) and W Java.

Distribution and habitat

It is found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, ranging across Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.