Birdwatchers have documented the Hair-crested Drongo (Dicrurus hottentottus) for the first time in the foothills of Manjamalai, near Palamedu in Madurai district. The species belongs to the family Dicruridae and lives in evergreen and moist deciduous forests, as well as along forest edges and in scrubland and plantations. On the IUCN Red List it is categorised as Least Concern. Under Indian law, the bird is protected through its inclusion in Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. This sighting marks its first record at this Madurai location.