Pied Falconet (Microhierax melanoleucos)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Pied Falconet

Microhierax melanoleucos (Blyth, 1843)

20 cmLength35 cmWingspan64 gWeight

It is a small black-and-white raptor with a black mask across its white face.

Busiest months: December · Most records: India, China, Vietnam

Looks like Ashy Woodswallow

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Face white; black eye patch extends to the ear-coverts
  2. Crown and upperparts black
  3. Thighs white, with no chestnut feathers
  4. Tail black with white barring when viewed from below

Male, female and young

Sexes show no obvious difference in appearance; juveniles closely resemble the adult male.

Voice

High, sharp calls, as well as chattering whistles.

Similar species

Ashy Woodswallow
Ashy Woodswallow

Pied Falconet has blacker upperparts; Ashy Woodswallow has gray upperparts.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: December · Most records: India, China, Vietnam

Pied Falconet has been recorded at 32 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Cuc Phuong NPVietnam172 records
  2. Xiaoqi VillageChina171 records
  3. Dihing Patkai NP – SoraipungIndia170 records
More places
  1. Dihing Patkai NP – SoraipungIndia153 records
  2. Nameri National Park & SurroundingsIndia98 records
  3. Chaguan VillageChina83 records
  4. Cuc Phuong NP – Bong SubstationVietnam47 records
  5. Elephant ValleyChina37 records
  6. Kaziranga NP & SurroundingsIndia31 records
  7. Kaziranga NP & Surroundings – Western RangeIndia23 records

Countries and regions with the most records

IndiaChinaVietnamBhutanLaos

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Pied Falconet?

The Pied Falconet is about 20 cm long, with a wingspan of 35 cm and weighs around 64 g.

Where does the Pied Falconet live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: northeastern India to southern China and central Vietnam. It is most often recorded in India, China and Vietnam.

When is the best time to see the Pied Falconet?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Pied Falconet endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Pied Falconet as Least Concern.

What does the Pied Falconet eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Pied Falconet in?

It belongs to the family Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae), order Falconiformes.

At a glance

Length
20 cm
Wingspan
35 cm
Weight
64 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
111 mm
Tail
70 mm
Bill
15 mm
Tarsus
24 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: northeastern India to southern China and central Vietnam

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Caracaras, Falcons Falconidae
Genus
Microhierax

Other birds in the genus Microhierax

Collared FalconetCollared FalconetMicrohierax caerulescensBlack-thighed FalconetBlack-thighed FalconetMicrohierax fringillariusWhite-fronted FalconetWhite-fronted FalconetMicrohierax latifronsPhilippine FalconetPhilippine FalconetMicrohierax erythrogenysSpot-winged FalconetSpot-winged FalconetSpiziapteryx circumcinctaCrested CaracaraCrested CaracaraCaracara plancusRed-throated CaracaraRed-throated CaracaraIbycter americanusBlack CaracaraBlack CaracaraDaptrius aterYellow-headed CaracaraYellow-headed CaracaraDaptrius chimachimaChimango CaracaraChimango CaracaraDaptrius chimango
Pied Falconet

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Brendan Ryan. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages