Hair-crested Drongo (Dicrurus hottentottus) [XC578832]
by Thomas Job from Khao Yai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand (call)
Hair-crested Drongo (Dicrurus hottentottus) [XC498402]
by Frank Lambert from North Siberut, Kepulauan Mentawai, West Sumatra, Indonesia (song)
Subspecies
Formerly considered conspecific with Tablas Drongo (Dicrurus menagei), Sumatran Drongo (Dicrurus sumatranus), Wallacean Drongo (Dicrurus densus) and Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus). DNA studies have indicated close taxonomic relationship of present species with Balicassiao (Dicrurus balicassius), Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) and Ribbon-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus megarhynchus), and all of these, together with Sulawesi Drongo (Dicrurus montanus) and the aforementioned species, could be part of a superspecies containing eight species. Two Philippine subspecies, striatus and samarensis, included within present species although having some similarity also to neighbouring Balicassiao (Dicrurus balicassius) (tail shallowly forked, outer rectrices flat, iris brown), are placed by some authors in Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) (despite absence of some specific characteristics of latter); inclusion within present species (or Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus)) could be argued on basis of velvety black mantle (Balicassiao (Dicrurus balicassius) has whole upperside, including tail, very strongly glossed), but, on other hand, both subspecies lack some other characters specific to present species (i.e. frontal hair-like filaments, large tail with end of outer feathers twisting inwards and outwards). Further taxonomic research essential in order to clarify true relationships among all of these species. Subspecies banggaiensis sometimes synonymized with pectoralis, and in the past with leucops. Clinal decrease in size from north to south, birds in central India being similar to those of Myanmar and Thailand, intermediate between those of Himalayan foothills and those of southern India (extreme length of male tail 149-164 mm in Himalayas, 132-155 mm in central India, 114-128 in south-western India). Nominate subspecies intergrades with brevirostris from southern China (western Yunnan) and northern Myanmar east to northern Vietnam.
Proposed subspecies chrishna (described from Nepal foothills), allegedly larger than specimens from central and southern India, is regarded as not distinguishable from nominate; termeuleni (Thousand Is, in Jakarta Bay, in western Java) considered inseparable from jentincki, but insufficient evidence available, and further study required. Subspecies banggaiensis has sometimes been merged with leucops or pectoralis.
The following 14 subspecies are recognised:
hottentottus (Linnaeus, 1766) - Peninsular India (Western Ghats; West Bengal and Orissa south through eastern Ghats to northern Tamil Nadu), and Himalayan foothills from eastern Punjab and Himachal Pradesh east to Bangladesh and north-eastern India (Arunachal Pradesh, southern Assam hills), northern and central Myanmar (south to Tenasserim), northern Thailand, southern China (south-eastern Xizang, western Yunnan), Cambodia, southern Laos and southern Vietnam.
brevirostris (Cabanis, 1851) - Breeds central and southern China (southern from Shaanxi, southern Shanxi and Jiangsu), northern Myanmar, northern Laos and northern and central Vietnam. Non-breeding throughout Indochina, Thailand and lower Myanmar.
palawanensis Tweeddale, 1878 - Western Philippines (Palawan).
striatus Tweeddale, 1877 - Southern Philippines (Basilan, Mindanao, Nipa). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Short-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus striatus).
suluensis Hartert, 1902 - South-western Sulu Archipelago (Tawitawi, Simunul and Sibutu), in south-western Philippines, and Maratua I (off eastern Borneo).
borneensis (Sharpe, 1879) - Borneo.
leucops Wallace, 1865 - Mainland Sulawesi and surrounding archipelagos to north-east, south-eastern and S; Matasiri I (in Java Sea).
banggaiensis Vaurie, 1952 - Banggai Is, off eastern Sulawesi.
pectoralis Wallace, 1863 - Sula Is (west-central Moluccas).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet