ID Keys: Dark grey upperarts, white underparts with dark streaking,
strong dark mustache, thin white eyebrow, ruddy leg feathering
The
Eurasian Hobby is a small graceful falcon of the Old World, with a summer
range stretching from Portgal eastward across Europe and Asia to Japan, and
a winter range in Africa and southeastern Asia. In North America, they
vagrants with widely scattered sightings. Most sightings have been in
Alaska, primarily the Aleutians and other offshore islands, but other
sightings have occurred in Washington State and Massachusetts. They
are aerial acrobats, specializing in capturing prey in flight. They will
often feed heavily on large insects which are both caught and consumed while
in flight, but they are also heavy predators on small birds. They are
extremely maneuverable and fast in flight, and are able to capture even
acrobatic birds in flight, such as swifts and swallows.
Habitat
Found in a wide variety of semi-open habitats, including open woodland, savannah with scattered trees, farmland with scattered groves of trees and fencerows, and grassland with scattered trees. They are often found near rivers and wetlands.
Diet
Feeds heavily on flying insects when available. They will also often feed on small birds and rarely, on small rodents. In some locations, they have also been seen capturing bats in flight. Birds seem to make up the majority of prey during the breeding season.
Behavior
The Eurasian Hobby is a swift and agile aerial hunter that spends much of its time in flight, pursuing small birds, dragonflies, and other large insects. It often hunts at high speed, performing rapid twists, turns, and dives to capture prey in midair. Outside the breeding season, Eurasian Hobbies are generally solitary, though they may gather where food is abundant during migration.
Nesting
The nest site is typically an abandoned nest in a tree, with old corvid nests often used by the species. The female lays between 2 and 5 eggs, which are incubated (primarily by the female) for about 4 weeks. The young fledge at about 4 weeks of age.
Song
Has a piercing scream, kree-kree-kree-kree . They are usually silent away from nesting sites.
Migration
Most birds are strongly migratory. Eurasian Hobby breed throughout much of Europe and Asia, from western Europe eastward through Russian, China, and northern Japan. Most birds winter in Africa or southeastern Asia. Some birds in China and the surrounding area may be semi-permanent residents.
Similar in general markings and structure to a Peregrine Falcon. The Eurasian Hobby is smaller, slimmer, and more graceful in flight than the Peregrine Falcon. It has long, narrow wings, a distinctly elongated tail, and prominent reddish-brown “trousers” on the thighs, whereas the Peregrine is bulkier with broader wings and a shorter tail. Eurasian Hobbies also frequently hunt insects and small birds with agile, swallow-like flight, while Peregrines typically pursue larger birds in powerful, high-speed stoops.
Conservation Status
Populations have been in decline. Habitat loss has been a primary cause, but direct hunting, the use of harmful pesticides, and wind farm development have all also caused local and regional declines. However, overall populations are still strong and Eurasian Hobby are found over a very wide geographic region. The IUCN currently lists the Eurasian Hobby as a species of "Least Concern" .
Photo Information
Photo taken on April 21st, 2015 - Poiplie SPA, South Slovakia - Photo by Radovan Vaclav - Photo licensed under Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 2.0 Generic License
