View source for Biology:Microhierax

{{Short description|Genus of birds}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Microhierax erythrogenys.jpg
| image_caption = ''[[Biology:Philippine falconet|Philippine falconet]]'' (''Microhierax erythrogenys'')
| taxon = Microhierax
| authority = Sharpe, 1874
| type_species = ''[[Biology:Black-thighed falconet|Falco fringillarius]]''<ref name=HM4>{{cite web |url= https://www.aviansystematics.org/4th-edition-checklist?viewfamilies=35 |title= Falconidae |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= aviansystematics.org |publisher= The Trust for Avian Systematics |access-date= 2023-07-25}}</ref>
| type_species_authority = Drapiez, 1824
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = 
* ''[[Biology:Collared falconet|M. caerulescens]]''
* ''[[Biology:Black-thighed falconet|M. fringillarius]]''
* ''[[Biology:White-fronted falconet|M. latifrons]]''
* ''[[Biology:Philippine falconet|M. erythrogenys]]''
* ''[[Biology:Pied falconet|M. melanoleucos]]''
}}

The '''typical falconets''', '''''Microhierax''''', are a [[Biology:Bird of prey|bird of prey]] [[Biology:Genus|genus]] in the family [[Biology:Falconidae|Falconidae]]. They are found in southeast Asia and the smallest members of [[Biology:Falconiformes|Falconiformes]], averaging about {{convert|15|cm|abbr=on}} in length and {{convert|35|g|abbr=on}} in weight. The smallest members of the genus are the relatively widespread [[Biology:Black-thighed falconet|black-thighed falconet]], and the [[Biology:White-fronted falconet|white-fronted falconet]] on the island of Borneo.

==Taxonomy and systematics==
The first description by a European ornithologist of a falconet from this group 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, Dr Mead.<ref name=edwards>{{cite book|last1=Edwards | first1=George|title=A Natural History of (Uncommon) Birds | volume=Part 3|year=1750 | location=London|chapter=The little Black and Orange colour'd Indian Hawk | at=Plate 108 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50196261 }}</ref> In 1758 [[Biography:Carl Linnaeus|Carl Linnaeus]] used the illustration and description by Edwards to [[Biology:Species description|formally describe]] the species under the [[Biology:Binomial nomenclature|binomial name]] ''Falco cærulescens''<ref>{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=C. | author-link=Carl Linnaeus | year=1758 | title= Systema Naturæ per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Volume 1| volume=1 | edition=10th | page=88 | publisher=Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii  | language=la | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726995 }}</ref><ref>{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Cottrell | editor2-first=G. William | year=1979 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume 1 | volume=1 | edition=2nd | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=399 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16109039 }}</ref> In 1760 the French naturalist [[Biography:Mathurin Jacques Brisson|Mathurin Jacques Brisson]] also used Edwards' publication to describe ''{{lang|fr|le Faucon de Bengale}}''.<ref name="Sharpe1874" /><ref>{{ cite book | last=Brisson | first=Mathurin Jacques | author-link=Mathurin Jacques Brisson | year=1760 | title=Ornithologie, ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, especes & leurs variétés: Supplement d'Ornithologie | volume=6 | page=20 | place=Paris | publisher=Jean-Baptiste Bauche | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36211618 }}</ref> Although the white collar was not mentioned, the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe believed that this was the same [[Biology:Species|species]] that we now call the collared falconet.<ref name="Sharpe1874" />

In 1824, Vigors proposed a new genus ''Ierax'', writing "whoever has seen that beautiful species, the smallest of its race, ''F. cærulescens'', Linn., now rendered familiar to us by the accurate and splendid illustrations of Dr. Horsfield, will at once acknowledge its separation from every other established genus of its family."<ref name=Vigors1824>{{cite journal|last1=Vigors|first1=Nicholas Aylward|title=On the groups of the Falconidæ|department=Sketches in Ornithology|journal=The Zoological Journal|date=June 1824|volume=1|issue=2|pages=308–346|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13382148}}</ref>{{rp|page=[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13382164 328]}} Later authors rendered the name ''Hierax''.

Sharpe coined the name ''Microhierax'' in 1874, from the Greek {{lang|el|μικρός ἱεραξ}} meaning "tiny hawk".<ref name="Sharpe1874">{{cite book|last1=Sharpe|first1=R. Bowdler|title=Volume I: Catalogue of the Accipitres or Diurnal Birds of Prey in the Collection of the British Museum|date=1874|publisher=Trustees of the British Museum |location=London|pages=366–369|chapter=Microhierax|series=Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum |volume=1 | chapter-url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8307902}}</ref> By this time, four species were known: ''M. cærulescens'', ''M. fringillarius'', ''M. melanoleucos'', and ''M. erythrogenys''. He lists Horsfield's specimen "''Falco cærulescens''" as being actually ''M. fringillarius'', making the latter the type of the genus.

A fifth species, the white-fronted falconet ''M. latifrons'', was described by Sharpe in 1879.<ref name="Peterson2015">{{cite web|last1=Peterson|first1=Alan P.|title=Birds of the World -- current valid scientific avian names, version 10.008|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/35127#page/278/mode/1up|website=Zoonomen|access-date=23 March 2016|date=2015-07-17|volume=3 }}</ref><ref name="Bowdler1879">Page [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/35127#page/279/mode/1up 237] and [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/35127#page/278/mode/1up plate 7] in {{cite journal|last1=Sharpe|first1=R. Bowdler|title=On the Birds of the Province of Lumbidan, North-western Borneo|journal=The Ibis|date=July 1879|series=4|volume=3|issue=11|pages=233–272|doi=10.1111/j.1474-919X.1891.tb08523.x |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/35127#page/273/mode/1up|department=Contributions to the Ornithology of Borneo}}</ref>

==Extant Species==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !! Scientific name !! Common Name!! Distribution
|-
|[[File:Microhierax caerulescens.jpg|120px]] ||''Microhierax caerulescens''|| [[Biology:Collared falconet|Collared falconet]] 
Red legged falconet
| Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
|-
|[[File:Microhierax fringillarius 112598890.jpg|120px]] || ''Microhierax fringillarius''|| [[Biology:Black-thighed falconet|Black-thighed falconet]] ||  Brunei Darussalam, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. and vagrant to Sri Lanka
|-
|[[File:White-fronted Falconet (13970618760).jpg|120px]] || ''Microhierax latifrons''|| [[Biology:White-fronted falconet|White-fronted falconet]] ||  Sabah on the island of Borneo
|-
|[[File:Philippine Falconet - Microhierax erythrogenys.jpg|120px]] || ''Microhierax erythrogenys''|| [[Biology:Philippine falconet|Philippine falconet]] ||  Philippines
|-
|[[File:Pied falconet, (Microhierax melanoleucos) from pakke tiger reserve JEG3641 (cropped).jpg|120px]] || ''Microhierax melanoleucos''|| [[Biology:Pied falconet|Pied falconet]]||  Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Hong Kong, India, Laos, and Vietnam.
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* A. Pelletier (illustrator), C. [Charles Joseph] Hullmandel (lithographer) 1822. Illustration of ''Falco cærulescens'' from Java [later ''Microhierax fringillarius''] [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31111887#page/288/mode/1up BHL (Smithsonian)] [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/181895#page/293/mode/1up BHL(Singapore)]. Plate 35 in {{cite book|last1=Horsfield|first1=Thomas|title=Zoological researches in Java, and the neighbouring islands|date=1824|publisher=Kingsbury, Parbury, & Allen|location=London|doi=10.5962/bhl.title.44848}}
* Section ''Falco cærulescens'', page 135 [https://archive.org/stream/transactionsofli13lond#page/135/mode/1up IA] [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/13692#page/154/mode/1up BHL] in {{cite journal|last1=Horsfield|first1=Thomas|title=Systematic arrangement and description of birds from the island of Java. Read April 18, 1820.|journal=Transactions of the Linnean Society of London|date=1822|volume=13|pages=135–200}} "The drawing of Edwards was made from a bird sent from Bengal. The Javan specimens are somewhat smaller, and differently marked. They appear to form a distinct variety..."

{{Taxonbar|from=Q938062}}

[[Category:Microhierax| ]]
[[Category:Bird genera]]



{{Sourceattribution|Microhierax}}