Dicrurinae

The Dicrurinae belong to the newly enlarged Corvidae. Aside from the Dicrurinae, the enlarged group includes the Cinclosomatinae, the Pachycephalinae (whistlers), the Corvinae (crows, jays, etc.) the Aegithininae (ioras) and the Malaconotinae (wood shrikes).

The Dicrurinae are divided into three groups: the Rhipidurini (fantails), Dicrurini (drongoes), and Monarchini (monarchs and paradise flycatchers).

Chinese:

Rhipidurini: The fantails are known in Chinese as 扇尾鹟 shàn-wěi wēng ('fan-tailed flycatchers').

Dicrurini: The drongoes are known as 卷尾 juǎn-wěi ('curl tails'). The racket-tailed drongoes are known as 小盘尾 xiǎo pán wěi or 大盘尾 dà pán wěi ('small' or 'large plate-tails') because of their peculiar-shaped tails.

Monarchini: The paradise flycatchers (Terpsiphone) are known as 绶带鸟 shòu-dài-niǎo ('coloured ribbon bird') or 绶带 shòu-dài ('coloured ribbon') because of their colourful appearance. Since 'coloured ribbon' can refer to the type of ribbon that is used on a coffin, the more auspicious-sounding 寿带 shòu-dài 'longevity belt' is sometimes substituted. 练鹊 liàn-què ('lian magpie') is another name.

The monarch flycatcher is known as a 王鹟 wáng-wēng ('king flycatcher'), which looks suspiciously like a calque (loan translation) from the English. Taiwan uses 籃鶲 lán wēng or 'blue flycatcher'.

Japanese:

Rhipidurini: The fantails are not found in Japan. Their name in Japanese is オウギビタキ ōgi-bitaki ('fan flycatcher'), written 扇鶲.

Dicrurini: The drongo is known in Japan by one species, Dicrurus macrocercus, called the オウチュウ ōchū, origin unknown. It is written 烏秋, meaning 'black/dark autumn'.

Monarchini: The paradise flycatcher is known by one species, Terpsiphone atrocaudata, which is called サンコウチョウ sankō-chō 'three-lights bird' or just サンコウ sankō ('three lights'). In characters, this is written 三光鳥 or 三光. The name derives from the bird's call, which sounds like 'sun, moon, stars' ('the three lights') in Japanese.

Vietnamese:

Rhipidurini: The fantails are known as Rẻ quạt ( 'fan-spokes') or Chim rẻ quạt ('fan-spoke bird') in Vietnamese.

Dicrurini: The drongoes are known as Chèo bẻo in Vietnamese.

Monarchini: The paradise flycatchers are called Thiên đường or Chim thiên đường in Vietnamese, meaning 'paradise' or 'paradise bird', possibly a translation from English. The monarchs are known as Đớp ruồi or 'fly snappers' in Vietnamese, a name also given to other types of flycatcher.

The distribution of the Dicrurinae in East Asia can be found at Tzung-Su Ding's Distribution of Dicrurinae in East Asia.

During the Qing Dynasty in China, the Paradise Flycatcher (练雀) was depicted in 'Mandarin Squares' (known as 补子 bǔzi) attached to official uniforms of high-ranking bureaucrats. It was the insignia of rank for Grade Nine of civilian official.