Falcons
Eurasian Hobby
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Falco subbuteo
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Voice
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
Alarm
Tim Vochten
How to recognize it
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Jackdaw-sized, long pointed wings and wedge-shaped tail
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Slate-grey upperparts, dark head, white cheeks and throat
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Black moustache stripes, rufous thigh feathers, pale underparts with lengthwise streaking
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Fast agile flight, quick flaps alternating with glides; call "kya-kya-kya"
About the species
Eurasian Hobby looks all about speed and precision, with a slim shape that seems made for fast air-chases. Long pointed wings and a stretched tail give it a sharp, agile silhouette overhead.
It is usually quiet, but when disturbed it lets out a harsh, sudden call. In flight it flicks through quick wingbeats and short glides, and it takes prey almost entirely on the wing.
It fits open, mixed landscapes rather than deep forest, using woodland edges, light woods, steppe, farmland, and other places where trees break up open ground. It feeds on large insects and small feathered prey, and most populations migrate south for winter.
Where to find
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In mature city parks and along wide tree-lined avenues — look up for a sharp, ringing call from the canopy.
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By riverbanks, canals, and reed-fringed pond edges — watch for fast, sickle-shaped flight over the water, often after dragonflies.
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On the city fringe, where scattered trees meet open vacant lots — most active in the morning and evening, hawking insects on the wing.
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Near swallow colonies under bridges and around old buildings — a Eurasian Hobby may circle overhead and launch sudden aerial chases.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Falco subbuteo Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Eurasian hobby Encyclopedia article