Black-thighed Falconet
A species of Typical falconets Scientific name : Microhierax fringillarius Genus : Typical falconets
Black-thighed Falconet, A species of Typical falconets
Botanical name: Microhierax fringillarius
Genus: Typical falconets
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Charley Hesse TROPICAL BIRDING
Description
This is a minute, shrike-like falcon, with a squarish tail that is frequently spread. The adult male is glossy black above, with a white forehead streak that arcs around black cheeks. It has a white or rufous-washed throat, with a white breast shading into a rufous abdomen. Its thighs and flanks are black, as is its cere and legs. In flight the male has white wings underneath with black barring on the primaries and secondary flight feathers, and light streaking on the underwing coverts. There are three white bars underneath on the otherwise plain black tail. The adult female is similar to the adult male, except the tail is longer. The juvenile is similar to the adults, except that the white areas of the head are rufous. The voice is a hard, high-pitched cry shiew and a fast repeated kli-kli-kli-kli.
Size
17 cm
Feeding Habits
Black-thighed Falconet primarily consume insects like moths, butterflies, and dragonflies, as well as small birds and lizards. They have social feeding habits, often hunting in groups from a perch with quick flights to snatch prey.
Habitat
Black-thighed Falconet predominantly inhabits tropical environments, often residing in primary and secondary forests, as well as edges and clearings. These forests are usually situated at elevations below 1,200 meters, typically not exceeding 1,500 meters. Black-thighed Falconet is also commonly found in proximity to freshwater sources like rivers and streams, and sometimes in swamp forests. Although it favors natural habitats, black-thighed Falconet is known to adapt to human-modified landscapes, including villages and cultivated land, and may even frequent areas undergoing slash-and-burn forest clearance due to the increased availability of prey.
Dite type
Carnivorous
General Info
Behavior
This falconet is generally social and gregarious, often found in loose pairs or groups of ten or more. The breeding season for this falcon varies by location, with populations up to the North of the equator breeding mostly in February–June. To the South of the equator, egg-laying is recorded in Java in November–December. This falconet usually uses old nest holes of barbets, or occasionally old woodpecker holes. No material is added in the cavity aside from insect remains. The typical clutch size is between 2-5 eggs. Incubation and fledging periods are unknown. The nest hole may be used as a roost by adults year-round.
Photo By Charley Hesse TROPICAL BIRDING
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Diurnal Birds of Prey Family
Falcons and caracaras Genus
Typical falconets Species
Black-thighed Falconet