Scientific Name: Dicrurus hottentottus
Malay Name: Cecawi Berambut
Chinese Name: 发冠卷尾
Range: Breeding Range: Widespread from India through to eastern China. Also present in Borneo, Philippines, Sulawesi and Moluccas
Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: brevirostris, hottentottus, faberi, termeuleni, jentincki, viridinitens, borneensis, suluensis, leucops, banggaiensis, pectoralis, guillemardi.
Local Subspecies: brevirostris
Size:
Identification: Potential for confusion with other drongos – see links below – but Hair-crested has a longer, more slender, and slightly downcurved bill. The tips of the outer tail feathers are curled upwards and inwards.
Similar looking species: Black Drongo, Crow-billed Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Habitat: Mixed woodland and open country, mostly lowlands, sometimes parks and gardens on migration
Behaviour/Ecology: A typical drongo: a sit-and-wait predator watching from a high perch and then flying out to capture prey (invertebrates, small reptiles) on the wing or on the ground
Local Status: Very rare non-breeding visitor
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)
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Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Hair-crested Drongo)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Dicrurus hottentottus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T103711043A95131033.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Singapore Birds Project. (n.d.). Hair-crested Drongo. Retrieved on March 30, 2023 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/hair-crested-drongo.