The hair-crested drongo is an Asian bird of the family Dicruridae. This species was formerly considered conspecific with Dicrurus bracteatus, for which the name "spangled drongo" – formerly used for both – is now usually reserved. Some authorities include the Sumatran drongo in D. hottentottus as subspecies.
Region
South and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs from the Himalayan foothills and Northeast India through Bangladesh and Myanmar to southern China, Indochina, and the Malay Peninsula, with some island populations in the region. It inhabits evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, forest edges, bamboo thickets, secondary growth, and shaded plantations. Often uses mid-story to canopy perches to sally for flying insects and is common along forest margins and clearings. It adapts reasonably well to disturbed habitats provided mature trees remain.
Altitude Range
0–2400 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The hair-crested drongo is a glossy black drongo with distinctive hair-like nape feathers and a deeply forked tail whose outer feathers curl outward. It was formerly lumped with the spangled drongo but is now treated separately by most authorities, with the Sumatran drongo sometimes included as a subspecies by some. A bold mimic, it often incorporates the calls of other forest birds into its own repertoire and aggressively mobs larger predators.
Egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
Temperament
bold and assertive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with agile sallies from perches
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small groups and frequently joins mixed-species foraging flocks. Highly territorial during breeding and known to mob raptors and corvids. Builds a neat cup nest on a horizontal fork high in a tree; both sexes share incubation and chick-rearing.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Varied, including whistles, metallic notes, and harsh scolds. An accomplished mimic that weaves imitations of other birds into its own song, especially when excited.
