Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo

Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo

Scientific Name: Surniculus lugubris

Malay Name: Sewah Sawai Biasa

Chinese Name: 乌鹃

Range: Found from the Indian subcontinent to southern China and Southeast Asia with the northern populations wintering south to Southeast Asia

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: barussarum, brachyurus, lugubris.

Local Subspecies: brachyurus

Size: 24.5 cm

Identification: Adult has glossy black overall plumage, slender, slightly downcurved bill and square-cut to slightly forked tail with white barrings on vent and undertail coverts. Juvenile resembles adult but is somewhat browner and has prominent white spots on body and wing-coverts.

Similar looking species: Crow-billed Drongo

Habitat: The resident species are confined mainly to forest and forest edge but migrants can also be found in mangroves, parks and gardens.

Behaviour/Ecology: Known to brood parasite on Pin-striped Tit-Babbler and Olive-winged Bulbul in Singapore.

Local Status: Uncommon resident and uncommon migrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Location: Central Catchment Forest, Dairy Farm Nature Park, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore Botanic Gardens, former Bidadari Cemetery, Chinese/Japanese Gardens, Pasir Ris Park, Jurong Eco Garden, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Neo Tiew Lane 2.

Featured articles:

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris
Estimated average number of individuals by week based on eBird data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024
Peak week Apr 23-Apr 29
Early date 01 Jul 2024
Late date 30 Jun 2024
Higher numbers on the bar chart likely indicate periods when this species is most vocal, rather than when it is most numerous. The resident population may be augmented by migrants from Indochina in winter.
Juvenile Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo at Jelutong Tower. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo at Jelutong Tower. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Juvenile Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo at Upper Peirce Reservoir Park. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo at Bidadari. Photo Credit: See Toh Yew Wai
Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo at Jurong Eco Garden. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Surniculus lugubris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22728167A94972858.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo. Retrieved on April 26, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/square-tailed-drongo-cuckoo.

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