Black-thighed Falconet

This species is defined as a Review Species. Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page.

Scientific Name: Microhierax fringillarius
Malay Name: Rajawali-Belalang Melayu
Chinese Name: 黑腿小隼

Range:
Found from the Thai-Malay Peninsula to the Greater Sundas

Taxonomy:
Monotypic.

Size: 15-17 cm

Identification:
Adult has blackish crown, ear-covert patch, nape and upperparts, whitish forehead, narrow down-curving supercilium, throat and upper-breast and chestnut rest of underparts. Juvenile resembles adult but has pale chestnut supercilium

Habitat: Forest, forest edge and suitable wooded areas.

Behaviour/Ecology: Frequently darts out rapidly from a perch to capture flying insects. Will also attack small birds.

Local Status: Very rare non-breeding visitor

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured articles:

Featured reports: Jun 2022

Past accepted records in our database:

Black-thighed Falconet at Taman Negara, Malaysia. Photo credit: Keita Sin
Black-thighed Falconet at Bukit Tinggi, Malaysia. Photo Credit: Chong Yih Yeong
Black-thighed Falconet at Bukit Tinggi, Malaysia. Photo Credit: Jason Cho
Black-thighed Falconet at Bentong, Malaysia. Photo Credit: Loke Peng Fai
Black-thighed Falconet at Taman Negara. Photo credit: Keita Sin
Black-thighed Falconet at National Equestrian Centre. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Black-thighed Falconet at Bekok, Malaysia. Photo credit: Keita Sin
External Links:
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Black-thighed Falconet)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Microhierax fringillarius. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22696327A93555387.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.
Lim, K. S. (2009). The Avifauna of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore).
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.