Crested Drongo

SCI Name:  Dicrurus forficatus
Protonym:  Lanius forficatus Syst.Nat.ed.12 ed.12 p.134
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Dicruridae / Dicrurus
Taxonomy Code:  credro1
Type Locality:  southeastern Madagascar. Based on Muscicapa Madagascariensis nigra major cristata of Brisson, 1760, Ornithologia, 2, p. 388, pi. 37, fig. 4.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1766
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

DICRURUS
(Dicruridae; † Balicassiao D. balicassius) Gr. δικρος dikros  forked; ουρα oura  tail; "125. DRONGO, Dicrurus.  Lanius, Corvus, Linn. Gm. Lath.  Bec couvert de soies à la base, robuste; mandibule supérieure un peu carénée en dessus, échancrée et crochue vers le bout; l'inférieure aiguë et retroussée à la pointe. — Queue fourchue. — Rectrices 10.   Esp. Balicasse. — Fingah. — Drongo, Buff.  ...  Dicrurus [δικρους, furcatus, ουρα, cauda]." (Vieillot 1816); "Dicrurus Vieillot, 1816 (April 14), Analyse, p. 41.  Type, by subsequent designation, ["Balicasse" of de Buffon =] Corvus balicassius Linnaeus (G. R. Gray, 1841, List Gen. Birds, ed. 2, p. 47)." (Vaurie in Peters, 1962, XV, p. 138).   
Var. Dicruratus (probably an involuntary lapsus or portmanteau of specific combination Dicrurus longicaudatus Hay, 1868), Dicrourus, Dicturus (OD per Martin Schneider).   
Synon. Balicassius, Bhringa, Bhuchanga, Bonaparteis, Chaptia, Chibia, Cometes, Criniger,  Dicrachibia, Dicranostreptus, Dicruropsis, Dissemuroides, Dissemuropsis, Dissemurulus, Dissemurus, Drongo, Drongus, Drymonax, Edolius, Edoliuta, Entomoletes, Melisseus, Musicus, Notochibia, Prepopterus, Trichometopus.
• (Dicruridae; syn. Dicrurus † Black Drongo D. macrocercus) "Dicrurus (Auct)  Bhuchanga." (Hodgson 1841); "Dicrurus Hodgson, 1841, Journal Asiatic Soc. Bengal, X (1), (no. 109), p. 29.  Classical replacement name for Bhuchanga Hodgson, a local substantive name considered inappropriate by some." (JAJ 2020) (see Alcopus).

forficata / forficatus
Mod. L. forficatus  scissor-shaped  < L. forfex, forficis  pair of scissors  < forus  opening, gangway; facere  to make.
● ex “Engoulevent à Queue Fourchue” of Levaillant 1799, pl. 47 (unident.; ?Caprimulgus sp.).
● ex “Grand Gobe-mouche noir hupé de Madagascar” of Brisson 1760 (Dicrurus).
● ex “Swallow tail’d Hawk” of Catesby 1731 (Elanoides).
● ex “Gobe-mouche à queue fourchue du Méxique” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 677, “Moucherolle à queue fourchue du Méxique” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Swallow-tailed Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (Tyrannus).
● "60. TROCHILUS.  ...  forficatus.  5. T. curvirostris, rectricibus lateralibus longissimis, corpore viridi, pileo rectricibusque cæruleis.  Polytmus major nigricans aureo varie splendens, pennis binis uropygii longissimis. Brown. jam. p. 475.  Mellivora viridis, cauda longa. Edw. av. 33. t. 33.  Mellivora avis minima. Sloan. jam. 2. p. 307. t. 264. f. 1.  Raj. av. 187.  Habitat in Jamaica.  Pennæ longissimæ basi suffultæ supra & infra pennula rigida." (Linnaeus 1758) (unident.; nom. dub.).

SUBSPECIES

Crested Drongo (Malagasy)
SCI Name: Dicrurus forficatus forficatus
forficata / forficatus
Mod. L. forficatus  scissor-shaped  < L. forfex, forficis  pair of scissors  < forus  opening, gangway; facere  to make.
● ex “Engoulevent à Queue Fourchue” of Levaillant 1799, pl. 47 (unident.; ?Caprimulgus sp.).
● ex “Grand Gobe-mouche noir hupé de Madagascar” of Brisson 1760 (Dicrurus).
● ex “Swallow tail’d Hawk” of Catesby 1731 (Elanoides).
● ex “Gobe-mouche à queue fourchue du Méxique” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 677, “Moucherolle à queue fourchue du Méxique” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Swallow-tailed Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (Tyrannus).
● "60. TROCHILUS.  ...  forficatus.  5. T. curvirostris, rectricibus lateralibus longissimis, corpore viridi, pileo rectricibusque cæruleis.  Polytmus major nigricans aureo varie splendens, pennis binis uropygii longissimis. Brown. jam. p. 475.  Mellivora viridis, cauda longa. Edw. av. 33. t. 33.  Mellivora avis minima. Sloan. jam. 2. p. 307. t. 264. f. 1.  Raj. av. 187.  Habitat in Jamaica.  Pennæ longissimæ basi suffultæ supra & infra pennula rigida." (Linnaeus 1758) (unident.; nom. dub.).

Crested Drongo (Comoro)
SCI Name: Dicrurus forficatus potior
potior
L. potior, potioris  better, preferred  < comp. potis  capable.