Eurasian Hobby

Adults are slate-grey above with a dark crown and two short black moustache stripes. The throat is unstreaked white, the thighs and undertail coverts are unstreaked rufous and the rest of the underparts are whitish with black streaks. Close views enable the red "trousers" and vent to be seen. Sexes are similar. Juveniles are generally much browner, with scaled upper parts and streaked buffy thighs and undertail coverts. The hobby has a distinct first-summer plumage. This falcon is 29–36 cm (11–14 in) in length with a wingspan of 74–84 cm (29–33 in) and a weight of 175–285 g (6.2–10.1 oz).

This species breeds across the Palearctic realm. The subspecies F. s. subbuteo is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Africa. The subspecies F. s. streichi is mainly resident and does not migrate. It is a rare vagrant in North America, with extralimital records from Massachusetts, Washington, and Alaska in the United States, as well as in Newfoundland and British Columbia in Canada. It has also been sighted in Australia and Brazil.

It is a bird of open country, such as farmland, marshes, taiga and savannah. They are widespread in lowlands with scattered small woods. It is an elegant bird of prey, appearing sickle-like in flight with its long pointed wings and square tail, often resembling a swift when gliding with folded wings. It is fast and powerful in flight and will take large insects, such as dragonflies, which it transfers from talons to beak and eats while soaring slowly in circles. It also captures small bats and small birds in flight. Its speed and aerobatic skills enable it to take swallows and even swifts on the wing, and barn swallows or house martins have a characteristic "hobby" alarm call. It is known to harass swallows while they are roosting and dispersing from roosts. When not breeding, it is crepuscular, hawking principally in the mornings and evenings. While on migration, they may move in small groups. Hobbies tend to nest in old nests of birds such as crows and rooks, typically having a single brood and laying 2–3 eggs from June to August. Incubation is said to take 28 days and both parents share in this duty, though the female does the greater part. …