Falcons
Eurasian Hobby
Link copied.
Falco subbuteo
Link copied.
Voice
Call
Call
Alarm
How to recognize it
-
28–36 cm long; slim silhouette, long pointed wings
-
Adults: slate-grey upperparts, dark cap, white cheeks and throat, black moustache stripes
-
Pale underparts with dark lengthwise streaks; adults with rufous "trousers" and undertail coverts
-
Fast, agile flight: rapid wingbeats alternate with glides, wings sickle-shaped
About the species
Slate-grey above and pale underneath, the Eurasian Hobby has a dark crown and two black moustache marks framing its white throat. Dark streaks run down the chest and belly, while rusty-red feathers cover the thighs and beneath the tail. Its long, pointed wings and square tail are clear in flight.
Usually quiet, it gives a sharp, repeated "kya-kya-kya" when disturbed. Quick, forceful wingbeats alternate with glides, and it can pass a captured insect from its talons to its beak while circling. Outside the breeding season, it hunts mainly in the morning and evening.
It hunts over open country with scattered woods, including farmland, marshes and woodland edges. Dragonflies and other large insects, swallows, swifts and small bats are taken in flight. Across most of its range it heads south for winter, often to Africa, while populations in Southeast Asia stay year-round.
Where to find
-
At town outskirts, near swallow colonies, watch for swift aerial chases as the Eurasian Hobby catches swallows on the wing.
-
Across pastures and farmland beside shelterbelts, look for quick turns after large flying insects.
-
During the nesting season at a woodland edge, listen for sharp alarm calls near a tall tree as a pair defends an old nest when a person approaches.
