Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

SCI Name:  Dicrurus paradiseus
Protonym:  Cuculus paradiseus Syst.Nat.ed.12 ed.12 p.172
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Dicruridae / Dicrurus
Taxonomy Code:  grtdro1
Type Locality:  Siam. Based on ''le Coucou verd [sic], hupe de Siam, Brisson, 1760, Ornithologia, 4, p. 151, fig. 1, pi. 14. Restricted to the region between Ayuthia and the head of the Gulf of Siam, bv Kloss (1919, Journ. Nat. Hist. Soe. Siam, 3, p. 453).i
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).

paradisea / paradiseus / paradisi
Med. L. paradiseus  of paradise, paradisean, ethereal  < Late L. paradisus  paradise  < Gr. παραδεισος paradeisos  paradise, garden, pleasure ground (of the Persian kings)  < Old Persian pairi-daēza  walled garden.
● "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  paradisi.  28. P. brachyurus luteus, angulo abdominis rectricibusque basi rubris.  Psittacus paradisi ex cuba. Catesb. car. I. p. 10. t. 10.  Habitat in America." (Linnaeus 1758) (nom. dub.: ?syn. Amazona leucocephalus (leucistic)).
● ex “Coucou verd hupé de Siam” of Brisson 1760 (Dicrurus).
● ex “Tangara du Brésil” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 127, fig. 2 (subsp. Tangara chilensis).
● "48. CORVUS.  ...  paradisi.  11. C. albo nigroque varius, cauda cuneiformi, remigibus intermediis longissimis, capite nigro cristato:  Manucodiota cristata ex albo nigroque variata. Raj. av. 195. t. 2. f. 13.  Avis paradisi. Seb. mus. I. p. 85. t. 52. f. 3. & t. 30. f. 5.  Pica orientalis, cauda duabus pennis longissimis. Edw. av. 113. t. 113.  Habitat in India." (Linnaeus 1758) (Terpsiphone).
● "58. UPUPA.  ...  paradisea.  2. U. rectricibus duabus longissimis.  Avis paradisiaca Manucodiata cristata orientalis. Seb. mus. I. p. 40. t. 30. f. 5.  Habitat in Asia." (Linnaeus 1758) (?syn. Terpsiphone paradisi).
● "97. EMBERIZA.  ...  paradisæa.  12. E. fusca, pectore rubro, rectricibus duabus longioribus acuminatis, intermediis duabus longissimis.  Passer indicus. Aldr. orn. l. 15. c. 23. Will. orn. 184. t. 45.  Passer psittacus indicus, cauda longa. Pet. gaz. . . t. 55. f. 1.  Passer pectore rubro, cauda longissima. Edw. av. 86. t. 86.  Habitat in Africa.  Nigra est sed cervice & pectore coccineo. Deponit quotannis longas caudæ pennas, uti Pavo." (Linnaeus 1758) (Vidua).
● "60. TROCHILUS.  ...  paradiseus.  1. T. curvirostris ruber, alis cæruleis, capite cristato, rectricibus duabus longissimis.  Mellivora avis cristata cum duobus pennis longis in cauda. Seb. mus. I. p. 97. t. 61. f. 4.  Habitat in Mexico." (Linnaeus 1758) (unident.; Bonaparte 1850, hesitantly linked this name with Topaza pella).

SUBSPECIES

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (grandis)
SCI Name: Dicrurus paradiseus grandis
grandis
L. grandis  large.
● ex “Lori de la Nouvelle Guinée” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 683, “Purpur-roode Lori” of Vosmaer 1769, “Grand Lori” of de Buffon 17770-1783, and “Grand Lory” of Latham 1781 (syn. Eclectus roratus).
● ex “Great Jacamar” of Latham 1782 (syn. Jacamerops aurea).
● ex “Ibijau” or “American Goatsucker” of Ray 1713, “Grand Tette-chèvre tacheté du Brésil” of Brisson 1760, “Grand Crapaud volant de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 325, “Grand Ibijau” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Grand Goatsucker” of Latham 1783 (Nyctibius).
● ex “Grand Barbu de la Chine” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 871, “Grand Barbu” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Grand Barbet” of Latham 1783 (syn. Psilopogon virens).

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (rangoonensis)
SCI Name: Dicrurus paradiseus rangoonensis
rangoonensis
Rangoon, Burma / Yangon, Myanmar.

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (paradiseus)
SCI Name: Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus
paradisea / paradiseus / paradisi
Med. L. paradiseus  of paradise, paradisean, ethereal  < Late L. paradisus  paradise  < Gr. παραδεισος paradeisos  paradise, garden, pleasure ground (of the Persian kings)  < Old Persian pairi-daēza  walled garden.
● "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  paradisi.  28. P. brachyurus luteus, angulo abdominis rectricibusque basi rubris.  Psittacus paradisi ex cuba. Catesb. car. I. p. 10. t. 10.  Habitat in America." (Linnaeus 1758) (nom. dub.: ?syn. Amazona leucocephalus (leucistic)).
● ex “Coucou verd hupé de Siam” of Brisson 1760 (Dicrurus).
● ex “Tangara du Brésil” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 127, fig. 2 (subsp. Tangara chilensis).
● "48. CORVUS.  ...  paradisi.  11. C. albo nigroque varius, cauda cuneiformi, remigibus intermediis longissimis, capite nigro cristato:  Manucodiota cristata ex albo nigroque variata. Raj. av. 195. t. 2. f. 13.  Avis paradisi. Seb. mus. I. p. 85. t. 52. f. 3. & t. 30. f. 5.  Pica orientalis, cauda duabus pennis longissimis. Edw. av. 113. t. 113.  Habitat in India." (Linnaeus 1758) (Terpsiphone).
● "58. UPUPA.  ...  paradisea.  2. U. rectricibus duabus longissimis.  Avis paradisiaca Manucodiata cristata orientalis. Seb. mus. I. p. 40. t. 30. f. 5.  Habitat in Asia." (Linnaeus 1758) (?syn. Terpsiphone paradisi).
● "97. EMBERIZA.  ...  paradisæa.  12. E. fusca, pectore rubro, rectricibus duabus longioribus acuminatis, intermediis duabus longissimis.  Passer indicus. Aldr. orn. l. 15. c. 23. Will. orn. 184. t. 45.  Passer psittacus indicus, cauda longa. Pet. gaz. . . t. 55. f. 1.  Passer pectore rubro, cauda longissima. Edw. av. 86. t. 86.  Habitat in Africa.  Nigra est sed cervice & pectore coccineo. Deponit quotannis longas caudæ pennas, uti Pavo." (Linnaeus 1758) (Vidua).
● "60. TROCHILUS.  ...  paradiseus.  1. T. curvirostris ruber, alis cæruleis, capite cristato, rectricibus duabus longissimis.  Mellivora avis cristata cum duobus pennis longis in cauda. Seb. mus. I. p. 97. t. 61. f. 4.  Habitat in Mexico." (Linnaeus 1758) (unident.; Bonaparte 1850, hesitantly linked this name with Topaza pella).

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (johni)
SCI Name: Dicrurus paradiseus johni
johni
● John Whitehead (1860-1899) English explorer, naturalist, collector in Borneo, the Philippines and Hainan (subsp. Dicrurus paradiseus).
● Johannes Waterstradt (1869-1932) Danish entomologist, botanist, collector in Ceylon, Malaysia, the East Indies and Philippines (subsp. Pachycephala griseonota).

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (hypoballus)
SCI Name: Dicrurus paradiseus hypoballus
hypoballus
Gr. ὑποβαλλω hupoballō  to substitute; "For this bird Mr. E. C. Stuart Baker has used the name Dissemurus paradiseus setifer (Cabanis); but an examination of the basis of this name shows it to be unavailable for use in this connection.  ... Neither is (Edolius) Malayensis, applied by Jerdon to this drongo, a tenable name for the Malay race, since this is, though cited as its name, merely a mistaken identification of Chaptia malayensis Blyth, which is not a Dissemurus at all, but Chaptia aenea malayensis. Under these circumstances, the present form seems properly above provided with a new subspecific title" (Oberholser 1926) (subsp. Dicrurus paradiseus).

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (platurus)
SCI Name: Dicrurus paradiseus platurus
platurus
Gr. πλατυς platus  broad, wide, flat; -ουρος -ouros  -tailed  < ουρα oura  tail.
● ex “Drongo à Raquettes” of Levaillant 1805, pl. 175 (subsp. Dicrurus paradiseus).

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (ceylonicus)
SCI Name: Dicrurus paradiseus ceylonicus
ceylanensis / ceylanica / ceylonense / ceylonensis / ceylonicus / ceylonus
Ceylon (Portuguese name Ceilaõ given to the island by early explorers, from Pali Sinhalana land of lions) / Sri Lanka.
● ex “Drongri” of Levaillant 1805, pl. 170, and “Drongri Shrike” of Latham 1822 (syn. Dicrurus leucophaeus).
● ex “Ceylonese Crested Falcon” of Latham 1781 (subsp. Nisaetus cirrhatus).

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (otiosus)
SCI Name: Dicrurus paradiseus otiosus
otiosus
L. otiosus quiet, gentle < otium ease, peace.

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (nicobariensis)
SCI Name: Dicrurus paradiseus nicobariensis
nicobarensis / nicobarica / nicobaricus / nicobariensis
Nicobar Is.
● “92. COLUMBA.  ...  nicobarica.  15. C. cauda alba, corpore nigro, remigibus cæruleis, dorso viridi-nitente, pennis colli elongatis.  Columba e nicombar. Alb. av. 3. p. 44. t. 47. 48.  Habitat in insula Nicombar prope Pegu indicum.” (Linnaeus 1758) (Caloenas).

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (banguey)
SCI Name: Dicrurus paradiseus banguey
banguey / bangueyensis
Banguey Is., North Borneo.

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (brachyphorus)
SCI Name: Dicrurus paradiseus brachyphorus
brachyphorus
Gr. βραχυς brakhus  short; -φορος -phoros  -carrying  < φερω pherō  to carry.

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (microlophus)
SCI Name: Dicrurus paradiseus microlophus
microlopha / microlophus
Gr. μικρος mikros small; λοφος lophos crest.

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (formosus)
SCI Name: Dicrurus paradiseus formosus
formosis / formosum / formosus
L. formosus beautiful  < forma  beauty.