This drongo is endemic to Sri Lanka and lacks the long bare-shafted tail rackets of the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo. One study observed nesting pairs removing foliage around their host tree.
It is about 31–34 cm long. Compared with the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, it lacks long bare-shafted tail rackets and has a smaller nasal crest.
During a 2015–2017 study at several Sri Lankan sites, pairs were recorded removing leaves from the nest tree and neighboring trees, and stripping loose bark and epiphytes from the nest-tree trunk. The authors interpreted this as reducing canopy access to the nest tree.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.