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Eurasian Hobby

Falco subbuteoOrder: FALCONIFORMESFamily: Falcons (Falconidae)

Eurasian Hobby Portrait
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General

Eurasian Hobby: Small falcon with dark slate-gray upperparts and white underparts with heavy, dark gray streaks. White face has bold black mask and moustache stripe, and thin white eyebrows. Wings are long and pointed. Leggings are orange. Tail is square and finely barred. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has dark brown upperparts finely edged with brown, heavily streaked underparts, and lacks orange leggings.

Range and Habitat

Eurasian Hobby: Breeds across Europe and Asia; strays occur in Alaska. Preferred habitats include mature trees in farmlands and woodland edges.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"klee-klee-klee"

Interesting Facts

  • The Eurasian Hobby is one of the least studied European raptors because it is hard to detect during breeding season, which makes finding their nests almost impossible.
  • Barn Swallows and House Martins have a characteristic "hobby" alarm call.
  • A range of board games was once going to be named "Hobby", but the inventor was refused permission by the Patent Office. The inventor, who was also a birdwatcher, instead used the scientific name of the Hobby and called the board game Subbuteo.
  • A group of falcons has many collective nouns, including a "bazaar", "eyrie", "ringing up", "stooping up", and "tower" of falcons.


Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Eurasian Hobby
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family
Species Falco subbuteo
Length11 - 13 Inches
Wingspan30 Inches

Eurasian Hobby

Eurasian Hobby: Small falcon with dark slate-gray upperparts and white underparts with heavy, dark gray streaks. White face has bold black mask and moustache stripe, and thin white eyebrows. Wings are long and pointed. Leggings are orange. Tail is square and finely barred. Graceful powerful flight.

● Song: "klee-klee-klee"

● Foraging & Feeding: Eurasian Hobby: Feeds on large insects and small birds such as swallows and martins. Prey is caught in talons and transferred to bill in flight.

● Breeding & nesting: Eurasian Hobby: Three to five light yellow brown eggs with red brown spots are laid in an old crow or hawk nest. Incubation ranges from 28 to 31 days and is carried out primarily by the female.

● Similar species: Eurasian Hobby: Peregrine Falcon is much larger, and lacks eyestripe and orange leggings.

Flight Pattern

Alternates series of powerful deep wing beats with long glides.
Eurasian Hobby Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Eurasian Hobby: Breeds across Europe and Asia; strays occur in Alaska. Preferred habitats include mature trees in farmlands and woodland edges.
BreedingMonogamous
PopulationCasual in AK
MigrationMigratory
Weight7.2 Ounces