Collared Falconet
Microhierax caerulescens
This tiny falcon is usually seen perched high up on an exposed snag towering above open forests. Generally uncommon and sparsely distributed throughout its range. Black above and pale below with rusty red throat and vent. Long dark stripe trailing behind the eye gives the bird a rather comical, panda-like appearance. Social; lives in family groups that are often seen grooming one another.
Identification
The collared falconet is a very small falcon, shrike-like in shape, mainly pied and having bold white supercilia and collar, with relatively heavy double-toothed bill. It has shortish wings, a medium-length tail, strong half-feathered legs, and powerful feet. It perches conspicuously on top or edge of tree or bush, often on dead twig, frequently bobbing head and slowly moving tail up and down; wing-tips less than half down tail. Sexes are similar.
Taxonomy
The first description by a European ornithologist was published by George Edwards in 1750, as "the little black and orange colour'd Indian hawk". It was from a specimen that had been collected in Bengal and sent to the king's physician, Richard Mead. In 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus used the illustration and description by Edwards to formally describe the species under the binomial name Falco cærulescens In 1760 the French naturalist Mathurin Jacques Brisson also used Edwards' publication to describe le Faucon de Bengale. Although the white collar was not mentioned, the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe believed that this was the collared falconet. Richard Bowdler Sharpe introduced the genus Microhierax in 1874, from the Greek μικρόσ ἱεραξ meaning "tiny hawk".
- Scientific name
- Microhierax caerulescens
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Order
- Falconiformes
- Family
- Falconidae
- Genus
- Microhierax
Range and habitat
Mainland southeast Asia: Himalayan foothills of north India (northern Uttar Pradesh northwest to Kumaun, and Sikkim, Bengal, mainly northern Assam) and of Nepal and Bhutan, and from Burma (central and east, south to Tenasserim), Thailand (northwest and west, but not peninsular, also in strip east of central plains), Laos(central and south), Cambodia (especially north), and Vietnam. Open deciduous forest, clearings and edges in evergreen forest, abandoned hill cultivation with some trees; often near water. Mostly 200–800 m (660–2,620 ft), fairly regularly to 1,700 m (5,600 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Southern Penduline-Tit
Anthoscopus minutus
A tiny, short-tailed bird with a small fine bill, yellowish underparts, a green back, and a gray head with fine grizzled black-and-white scaly patterning on the forehead. Pairs and small groups forage restlessly for invertebrates and fruits, dangling upside down while they search. The species occurs in desert and semi-desert scrub, preferring taller thorn trees for nesting. It is often detected by its song, a repeated series of 5-7 high-pitched “chiueew” notes. Multiple birds may also give simple high-pitched tinkling and rasping notes. The similar African Penduline-Tit differs from Southern Penduline-Tit in areas of overlap by being smaller, lacking a grizzled forehead, and having buff (not yellowish) underparts.
Black Drongo
Dicrurus macrocercus
An adaptable songbird of open areas such as farmland, forest edge, meadows, wetlands, and fields and a common sight as a familiar dark silhouette perched on wires, fences, or snags. Black plumage flashes blue and green iridescence in favorable light, though much less so than in Hair-crested or Bronzed Drongo. A pugnacious species, frequently chasing away larger birds with repeated dives and harsh chattering calls. A skilled mimic of other species, and a strong songster in general, delivering a wide range of pleasant fluty calls, harsh chattering, nasal notes, and high sharp whistles.
Chapman's Bristle-Tyrant
Pogonotriccus chapmani
Tiny flycatcher of tepui highlands. Appears plain olive-green above and pale yellow below, with bold buffy wing bars and longish tail. Generally uncommon in humid forest above 800 meters, where pairs or small family groups forage actively, sallying to foliage for insects, usually in terminal leaf clusters. Often found with mixed-species flocks. Vocalizations include a distinctive, two- or three-noted descending call, with a squeezed quality; may also give a high, thin rattling trill when excited. Unlikely to be mistaken for other species in its limited range.
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