To mitigate the safety hazards posed by the frequent detachment of facade tiles in high-rise buildings, this study summarized the causes of these defects, identifying hollowing defects as precursors to exterior wall detachment. Based on the UAV equipped with infrared thermal imaging technology, the study conducted laboratory testing of hollowing detection. The optimal observation attitude of the UAV was investigated. The impact of defect characteristic parameters on identification accuracy and the effect of UAV rotor operation on the temperature of external walls were evaluated. Additionally, a rapid identification method for hollowing was proposed using a temperature difference threshold. The study indicated that optimal observation occurs when the UAV is 2 to 3 meters from the external wall, with a vertical angle of -30 to 30° and a horizontal angle of -15 to 15°. The drone rotors increase the cooling rate of external walls by 10%. Recognition improves with hollowing of larger sizes, shallower depths, and greater thicknesses. Hollowing defects in black and red tiles displayed higher temperatures, while those in yellowish tiles exhibited lower temperatures. On this basis, outdoor testing was conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed detection method by comparing it with visible light image recognition, which provides a novel approach for the rapid identification of hollowing defects in facade tiles of high-rise buildings.