Bold black fork-tailed bird with a towering crest. Juveniles have some pale fringes and a reduced crest, but still show the forked tail. Found in all types of forest at low and middle elevations, and less commonly in scrub, in villages, in plantations, and at high elevation. Perches prominently in the open, swooping out to catch insects on the wing. Often joins mixed feeding flocks with other birds. Fearless bird that doesn’t hesitate to mob mammalian predators or raptors. Song is a repeated sequence of whistles, creaks, and rasps. Forked tail and crest make it unmistakable within its range.