Least Concern

Length about 19–22 cm in females and short-tailed males; adult males with long streamers can reach up to 45 cm. Weight ~20–30 g. Distinctive bird with glossy black head and crest; males can be rufous or white with long ribbon-like tail feathers.

Resident and partially migratory across the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. Northern populations migrate seasonally.

Northern populations migrate southward to peninsular India and Sri Lanka during winter.

April to August, coinciding with warmer months and insect abundance. Courtship involves aerial chases and calls.

Nests in forks of tree branches, forming small cup-shaped nests made of bark, grass, and spider silk. Clutch size is 3–4 eggs. Both parents share incubation and feeding.

Found in deciduous and evergreen forests, wooded gardens, groves, and plantations, often near water. Adapts well to well-wooded urban areas.

Insectivorous: feeds on flying insects such as flies, beetles, and moths, caught in mid-air or from foliage. Often seen darting gracefully through trees while foraging.