Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus remifer) [XC303767]
by Marc Anderson from Bukit Fraser, border of Pahang and Selangor, Malaysia (song)
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus remifer) [XC176164]
by Marc Anderson from Fraser's Hill, Pahang, Malaysia (song)
Subspecies
In the past, sometimes separated in a monotypic genus, Bhringa, characterized by morphology of outer pair of tail feathers. Has previously been considered to be closely related to Bronzed Drongo (Dicrurus aeneus) on account of very similar plumage characteristics (except racquets), an hypothesis compatible with findings of recent DNA studies. Subspecies intergrade wherever they come into contact: peracensis with tectirostris in western Thailand (Ban Rahaeng region), Vietnam (central Annam) and southern Laos (Bolovens Plateau), and with lefoli on Thailand-Cambodia border.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
tectirostris (Hodgson, 1836) - Lower Himalayas from northern India (eastern from Garhwal and Kumaon) east to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, eastern Bangladesh, southern China (south-eastern Xizang, western and southern Yunnan and south-western Guangxi), Myanmar (except extreme south), northern Thailand, northern Laos and northern Vietnam (south to Huê).
peracensis (Baker, ECS, 1918) - Southern Myanmar (Tenasserim) and south-western Thailand south to northern Peninsular Malaysia (southern Selangor and southern Pahang), southern Laos and southern Vietnam (south to southern Annam).
lefoli (Delacour & Jabouille, 1928) - Mountains of southern Cambodia (Cardamom and Elephant Ranges).
remifer (Temminck, 1823) - Sumatra (Barisan Range and Batak Highlands) and western Java.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet