Content uploaded by Desmond Allen
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Desmond Allen on Dec 25, 2014
Content may be subject to copyright.
Leaf-presenting as possible courtship behaviour by Pied Falconets Microhierax
melanoleucos
Desmond Allen, Paul I. Holt and Jon Hornbuckle
Key words: Pied Falconets, Microhierax melanoleucos, courtship behaviour, leaf-presenting
Abstract: Pied Falconets Microhierax melanoleucos were observed presenting leaves to each other in
two different locations during the breeding season, suggesting a role for this behaviour in courtship.
The observations are discussed in relation to other published references to the breeding of this and
related species.
Pied Falconets Microhierax melanoleucos are distributed from the foothills of the eastern
Himalaya through southern China, Laos and northern Viet Nam. Despite this wide range though, rather
little is documented about their breeding behaviour, and Grimmett et al. comment that the juvenile
remains undescribed. We present here some incidental observations of behaviours apparently
connected with breeding made during a trip to north-east India in 1998 (Hornbuckle et al.).
A small group of at least four Pied Falconets Microhierax melanoleucos was observed in the
top of a tall, open tree near the Deban HQ of Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh, on 24th
February, at c.8.00AM. JH observed one to have a large leaf in its bill, which it proceeded to offer to a
neighbouring bird. This bird accepted the leaf in its bill but soon dropped it and neither bird made any
attempt to retrieve it. The other birds, perched a little further away, soon flew off, as did the presenting
bird a few minutes later. Shortly after, DA also saw this same behaviour reenacted in some dead, bare
branches in the canopy, of probably the same tree. At least one falconet was seen flying with a large
(c. 15cm long) leaf held in its feet, before alighting on a bare branch. It transferred the leaf to its bill
and presented it to another bird, which then dropped the leaf almost immediately.
Three weeks later, on 12th March, in the Kolomi area of Dibru-Saikhowa Wildlife Sanctuary,
Assam, DA saw two Pied Falconets land in the top of a nearby dead tree and again witnessed this
unusual behaviour.
The presenting of food items as a courtship ritual is well known among raptors (e.g. Cade
1982); moreover, leaves are used by several species as nest material. However, the presenting of
leaves seems to be very unusual.
The first record of this kind of behaviour is by Naoroji (1997) who found the courtship
behaviour of Collared Falconets Microhierax caerulescens in progress on 16th April 1993. He
commented that, prior to mating, there would be an extended courtship ritual in which the female
would usually remain perched on a bare branch while the male would fly off. Prior to returning the
male would often pluck a dried sal leaf with his feet and deposit it in the nest hole, sometimes firstly
perching alongside the female with the leaf before depositing it in the nest.
Pied Falconets are recorded as breeding in old barbet and woodpecker holes from March to
May (Delacour and Jabouille (1931), Ali and Ripley (1987)). Caldwell and Caldwell (1931) remark
that (in China) the eggs are laid ‘upon a bed of leaves and bits of grasses in a cavity of a tree.’
However, Baker, while noting that their nesting behavour was poorly known, recorded only beetle
elytra and other insect remains as nest lining. Etchecopar and Hue (1978-83) also refer to the nest
being of insect remains, while Delacour and Jabouille state that the eggs always lie on a bed of insect
debris, beetle elytra and butterfly wings. Neither they nor La Touche nor Baker mention any leaves
being present in nests of Pied Falconet, though Baker comments on leaves in the nest holes of Collared
Falconet. This is puzzling since the behaviour we observed would seem to be stereotyped.
At 9:23am on 15th March in Panbari Forest near Kaziranga NP, PIH observed two Pied
Falconets perched together about 20m up on a dead snag. The pair were about 20cm apart with the
female facing away from the male. He was bobbing from an exaggerated vertical position to the
horizontal at about once per second, and calling frantically. This was a fairly loud, very excited, rapid-
fire sequence of slightly hoarse, chattering notes - ‘jiff jiff jiff jiff jiff....’ which gradually slowed, and
reminded him of the food-begging calls of fledglings of several other raptor species. This behaviour
continued for a few seconds, after which copulation took place, with the male continuing to call for
about 20 seconds afterwards. The pair then flew off.
Closely perched Collared Falconets were noted by Sparks (1965) to often face away from each
other in captivity, probably to prevent agonistic responses. This was a rather brief observation by PIH,
and neither leaf-presenting nor clumping and allopreening, (thought by Naoroji to help maintain the
pair bond of Collared Falconets), were seen.
Our observations are presumably earlier in the breeding cycle than those witnessed by
Naoroji, but suggest that Pied Falconets may show some similarities in courtship and mating behaviour
to Collared Falconets. The offering of leaves by (presumably) the male may be a first stage in
initiating interest in mating and nesting behaviour in the female.
Kemp and van Zyl (1998) recorded Collared Falconets breeding cooperatively. Etchecopar
and Hue note that Pied Falconets can be seen in groups of 5 or 6, and this together with our observation
of a group at Deban in February suggests that Pied Falconets may also sometimes breed cooperatively.
Clearly this species, regarded as ‘Vulnerable’ by BirdLife International (Collar et al.), requires
considerable further study.
Ali, S. and Ripley, S. D. (1987) Compact edition of the Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan
2nd edn. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Baker, E. C. S. (1935) The Nidification of Birds of the Indian Empire, Vol. 4 London: Taylor and
Francis.
Brown, L. and Amadon, D. (1968) Eagles, hawks and falcons of the world. Two volumes. London:
Country Life Books
Cade, T. J. (1982) The falcons of the world. London: Collins.
Caldwell, H. R. and Caldwell, J. C. (1931) South China birds. Shanghai: Hester May Vanderburgh.
Clark, W.S. (1994) Indomalayan raptor species. Pp. 255-256 in J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott and J. Sargatal,
eds., Handbook of the birds of the world, 2. Barcelona: Lynx Editions
Collar, N. J., Crosby, M. J. and Stattersfield, A. J. (1994) Birds to watch 2, the world list of threatened
birds. Cambridge, U.K.: BirdLife International.
Delacour, J. and Jabouille, P. (1931) Les oiseaux de l'Indochine française, 1 p.62 Paris: Exposition
Coloniale Internationale.
Etchecopar, R.D. and Hue, F. (1978-1983) Les oiseaux de Chine, de Mongolie et de Coree, Papeete,
Tahiti: Editions du Pacifique.
Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. and T. Inskipp (1998) Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. A&C Black: London
Hornbuckle, J., Allen, D., Holt, P. and Kazmierczak, K. (1998) North-East India: 20th February - 13th
March 1998. OBC Unpublished report.
Kemp, A.C. and van Zyl, A. (1998) Cooperative breeding by Collared Falconets Microhierax
caerulescens Forktail 13: 131-132
La Touche, J.D.D. (1931) A Handbook of the Birds of Eastern China, 1. London: Taylor and Francis.
Naoroji, R. (1997) First breeding record of the Collared Falconet Microhierax caerulescens for the
Indian Subcontinent in Corbett National Park, Uttar Pradesh. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 94(2): 267-
272.
Sparks, J.H (1965) Clumping and allopreening in the Red-thighed Falconet Microhierax caerulescens
burmanicus. Ibis 107: 247-248
Corresponding author:
Desmond Allen
1158 NoGaYaCho,
Machida Shi,
Tokyo 195-0053 Japan
e-mail: dw6d-alln@asahi-net.or.jp
