Eurasian Hobby
Falco subbuteo
Also known as: Northern Hobby, Hobby, European Hobby
Habitat
Understory
Diet
Invertebrate
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
208 g
About This Species
Watch open country, farmland and heathland edges at dusk, when this fast, agile falcon hawks dragonflies and small birds in acrobatic aerial pursuit, often over water where insect prey concentrates. Its scythe-shaped wings and swift, direct flight distinguish it from other small falcons, and it is most active on warm evenings in summer when flying insects are abundant. Migration periods in spring and autumn can bring concentrations along coasts and ridgelines.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Observe from a distance with binoculars rather than approaching a perch or nest site, since raptors are sensitive to disturbance while breeding and may desert a nest if repeatedly flushed.
- It is protected under wildlife law in the European Union and across much of its breeding range, with legal penalties for deliberate disturbance at the nest.
- If a bird calls persistently or circles overhead while you are near a wooded edge, a nest may be close by, so it is best to move on.
LCAvesFalconiformesFalconidae
Seasonal Activity
768,205 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Falconiformes
- Family
- Falconidae
Traits
- Diet
- Invertebrate
- Foraging
- Understory
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 208 g
Photo
(c) dssh, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.