A greater racket-tailed drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus) was spotted in Jhanjhrola on Sunday morning, likely the bird’s first recorded sighting in Gurugram district, birders said.
A greater racket-tailed drongo spotted in the open agricultural fields in Jhanjhrola while being chased by crows and black drongos. (Credit: Akshat Dua)
The greater racket-tailed drongo is typically associated with moist, dense forests along the Himalayan foothills and terai regions, and sightings in open habitats such as south Gurugram are highly unusual, birders said.
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
“We spotted the bird at 8.20 am in the open agricultural fields in Jhanjhrola, a semi-arid landscape. The bird was being chased by crows and black drongos, which made it difficult to track it for long but we were able to capture shots and identify the bird adequately,” said birder Arvind Yadav. “It is a Himalayan species and prefers dense canopy. It only descends marginally when it starts to snow in the higher ranges. The species is an altitudinal migrant and does not often come to the National Capital Region (NCR). It is seen in the Aravalli forest, but seeing it in an open semi-arid area of south Gurugram makes it a rare and surprising sighting,” he added. Yadav was accompanied by birders Gaurav Yadav, Anil Gandas and Akshat Dua.
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
{{^usCountry}}
In the recent past, there have only been six records of the species in NCR, with sightings at Surajpur in February 2023, Mangar Bani in May 2017, June 2021 and July 2022, and in Delhi at Usmanpur in the Yamuna Khadar in February 2006 and Sunder Nursery in June 2016.
{{/usCountry}}
{{#usCountry}}
In the recent past, there have only been six records of the species in NCR, with sightings at Surajpur in February 2023, Mangar Bani in May 2017, June 2021 and July 2022, and in Delhi at Usmanpur in the Yamuna Khadar in February 2006 and Sunder Nursery in June 2016.
{{/usCountry}}
Sudhir Vyas, veteran birder and author of the book Birds of the Delhi Area (2023), explained the rarity of the sighting on Sunday. “Greater racket-tailed drongos are essentially vagrants or casual visitors to Delhi’s immediate neighbourhood, but perhaps more regular and even sporadically breeding a little farther eastward at Haiderpur on the Ganga near Hastinapur, 100 km from Delhi proper,” he said. Citing his research, Vyas added, “These superb drongos are vagrants to the Delhi area. There have been at least six recent occurrences reported from the immediate environs of Delhi, all of the north Indian race grandis — at locations such as Usmanpur, Sunder Nursery, Mangar Bani, and Surajpur.”
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
He noted that while the species has been recorded in Faridabad’s Mangar forest, near Gurugram, this new sighting from Jhanjhrola could represent the first proper record from within Gurugram district boundaries.
Birder Kanwar B Singh said the species does not migrate and is also known to mimic the calls of other birds well.
“It is a common forest bird of India, including forests in the Himalayan foothills, northeast India and in the peninsula region,” said Singh, adding that there have only been scattered records of the species in NCR. “It prefers well-wooded areas. I remember a record from Sunder Nursery as well and the Aravalli forest belt is another potential habitat. Seeing at Jhanjhrola in a fairly open country there is a bit surprising. Perhaps, it was blown off by some recent strong dust storms,” Singh said.
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
The drongo’s appearance fits the bird’s known tendency to occasionally wander across considerable stretches of open countryside in search of habitat patches, though its breeding strongholds remain along the Himalayan foothills and eastern terai belt.
Birders said Sunday’s fleeting encounter as a significant milestone for Gurugram’s avian diversity and said it offered new hope for documenting rare and migratory species in previously overlooked semi-arid landscapes of South Gurugram.
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!.
