Black-thighed Falconet

Overview

The black-thighed falconet, Microhierax fringillarius, is one of the smallest birds of prey, with a body length comparable to a typical sparrow. It is native to parts of Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, with occasional vagrant sightings in Sri Lanka.

Identification

• Adult males feature a glossy black upper body with a white forehead streak and a white or rufous-washed throat, while the female is similar but possesses a longer tail.
• Characterised by a minute, shrike-like appearance with a squarish tail that is frequently spread, displaying three white bars on an otherwise plain black underside.
• The voice consists of a hard, high-pitched shiew cry and a fast, repeated kli-kli-kli-kli sound.

Habitat

This species typically inhabits forest, forest edges, and wooded open areas, though it is frequently observed around human cultivation, villages, and active slash-and-burn forest clearance. It favours locations near rivers, streams, and paddy fields, mostly living below 1,500 m elevation.

Diet

The black-thighed falconet primarily feeds on insects such as moths, butterflies, dragonflies, alate termites, and cicadas, with occasional consumption of small birds and lizards. Foraging behaviour is often social, with groups of up to ten individuals taking prey during quick flights from a perch.

Did you know?

Although it is a bird of prey, the black-thighed falconet is highly social and gregarious, often found in loose pairs or groups of ten or more. It typically breeds in old nest holes left by barbets or woodpeckers, adding no material to the cavity apart from insect remains.