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Updated India Estimates Showed No Clear Trend for Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Greater racket-tailed drongo perched in natural habitat
Conservation · Population & status

The 2025 interim update from State of India’s Birds reported revised national numerical estimates for greater racket-tailed drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus) in India. The numerical update was released on 6 May 2026.

The long-term numerical estimate was −18.7%, while the current annual estimate was +0.5% per year. In both cases, however, the uncertainty was broad enough that the data could not distinguish a clear increase or decline. The species page retains the 2023 category Trend Inconclusive for both time scales.

The species’ modelled distribution range in India was estimated at 574,317 km². State of India’s Birds describes the greater racket-tailed drongo as resident, specialised for forest habitats and non-endemic to India, and retains it in the Low conservation-priority category.

The interim release updated numerical range and trend estimates for 942 previously assessed bird species using about 48 million eBird observations through 31 May 2025. The trend values describe change in a reporting-based abundance index rather than direct counts of individual birds. The conservation categories from the 2023 assessment were not recalculated.

Sources and image credit

  1. State of India’s Birds Partnership. (2026). State of India’s Birds: Range, trends, and conservation status – 2025 interim update (Version 2) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20036633Primary 2026 release, created 6 May 2026. The update recalculated numerical distribution range size, long-term trend and current annual trend values for 942 species using about 48 million eBird observations through 31 May 2025.
  2. State of India’s Birds Partnership. (2026). Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus) factsheet: 2025 update.Species factsheet reporting a national long-term estimate of −18.65% (95% CI −37.56 to +5.83), a current annual estimate of +0.45% (−1.41 to +2.32), and an estimated distribution range of 574,317 km². Both national trends are classified as inconclusive.

Image: Greater racket-tailed drongo, photographed 7 February 2021. Representative image; not linked to the national trend analysis. Photo: Shiv's fotografia / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 4.0. · CC BY 4.0 · Source

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