Black-thighed Falconet

Black-thighed Falconet

Microhierax fringillarius

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Singapore

In 3 days <5%

106 Verified sightings at Singapore
1,025 In all 7 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Black-thighed Falconet

The black-thighed falconet (Microhierax fringillarius) is one of the smallest birds of prey, typically measuring between 14–16 centimetres (5.5–6.3 in) long, with a 27–32 centimetres (11–13 in) wingspan, which is a size comparable to a typical sparrow. It is native to Brunei, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, and vagrant to Sri Lanka.

Thomas Horsfield described to the Linnean Society of London in 1820 a Javan variety of Falco cærulescens (the collared falconet). He noted that "the Javan specimens are somewhat smaller, and differently marked" than the Bengal specimen which had been described by John Edwards in 1750. A fuller description was published in his 1824 book, Zoological Researches in Java.

Also in 1824, Auguste Drapiez published the name Falco fringillarius, and Nicholas Vigors proposed the genus Ierax or Hierax. 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... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:06

Malaysia · 2019

© Somkiat Pakapinyo (Chai) · XC496059 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:06

Thailand · 2016

© Greg Irving · XC317255 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~30%
2 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~20%
3 Tanjung Puting National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
4 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
5 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
6 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
7 Kerinci Seblat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~20%
2 Singapore 🇸🇬 Singapore
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black-thighed Falconet in Singapore?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-thighed Falconet sighting in Singapore on a given day, based on 106 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 197th most-seen of the 298 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Black-thighed Falconet in Singapore?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-thighed Falconet in Singapore on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Black-thighed Falconet?

Between 1 and 4 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-thighed Falconet sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Singapore the best place to see a Black-thighed Falconet?

2nd of 2

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Black-thighed Falconet sightings, Singapore ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia, about 20%).

Where does the Black-thighed Falconet sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Black-thighed Falconet is recorded against all the birds logged in Singapore (106 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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