About Microhierax caerulescens (Linnaeus, 1758)
Taxonomic Classification
The collared falconet, Microhierax caerulescens (Linnaeus, 1758), is a very small shrike-shaped falcon.
Plumage Characteristics
Its plumage is mainly black and white, with prominent white supercilia and a white collar.
Head and Limb Morphology
It has a relatively heavy double-toothed bill, moderately short wings, a medium-length tail, strong half-feathered legs, and powerful feet.
Wing Length Relative to Tail
Its wing tips reach less than halfway down its tail.
Perching Behavior
The species perches conspicuously on the top or outer edge of trees or bushes, often on dead twigs, and frequently bobs its head while slowly moving its tail up and down.
Sexual Dimorphism
Males and females have similar appearances.
General Distribution Range
This falconet is distributed across mainland Southeast Asia.
Detailed Distribution Locations
Its range includes the Himalayan foothills of northern India (from northern Uttar Pradesh northwest to Kumaun, as well as Sikkim, Bengal, and primarily northern Assam), Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar (central and eastern areas, south to Tenasserim), Thailand (northwest and west, not the peninsula, also in a strip east of the central plains), central and southern Laos, northern Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Habitat Preferences
It inhabits open deciduous forest, clearings and edges within evergreen forest, and abandoned hill cultivation that still retains some trees, and it is often found near water.
Elevational Range
Most populations occur between 200 and 800 m (660–2,620 ft) above sea level, and it regularly occurs up to 1,700 m (5,600 ft).
