Eurasian hobby
The Eurasian hobby is a small but agile bird of prey belonging to the falcon family, known for its remarkable flying skills and ability to catch small birds and insects mid-air. Also referred to as the northern hobby, this species can be found across Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and occasionally in North America. Characterized by slate-gray plumage on its back and wings, along with a white and streaked chest, the Eurasian hobby has distinctive dark cheek markings and rust-red feathers on its thighs. Typically measuring 11.5 to 14 inches in length, females are generally larger than males.
These birds prefer open woodlands, parks, and farmland, and are skilled hunters, often catching prey at dusk when other birds are returning to roost. During the breeding season, males display aerial courtship behaviors, including elaborate flight maneuvers and food offerings to attract females. They often utilize existing nests rather than building their own, and after a gestation period of about three to four weeks, the young fledge at around one month old. The Eurasian hobby does not face significant threats from predators and typically enjoys a lifespan of 10 to 14 years in the wild. As a species, they are not currently considered threatened, reflecting their adaptability in various habitats.
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Eurasian hobby
The Eurasian hobby is not something people do in their leisure time, but it is a smaller member of the falcon family. It is a very skillful flier and is able to capture other small birds in flight. The Eurasian hobby may also be called the northern hobby or simply hobby. They can be found throughout Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and, sometimes, North America.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
Species: Subbuteo
Eurasian hobbies have slate-gray plumage (feathering) on their backs and upper parts, while their chests and undersides are white and streaked with black. Dark feathers form a band on each cheek and under each eye as well as giving them a small moustache on either side of their gray, sharply hooked beaks. The rest of their cheeks and sides of their heads are white. Dark, yellow-ringed eyes have excellent vision. Rust-red feathers cover their thighs, and some of their wing feathers are also this color.
Eurasian hobbies are about 11 1/2 to 14 inches (29 to 36 centimeters) long and weigh six to 10 ounces (175 to 285 grams). Females are heavier than males.
Even though they spend most of their time at lower altitudes in Europe, Africa, Asia, and occasionally North America, some Eurasian hobbies live at altitudes of 10,000 feet (3,000 meters). Open woodlands are popular habitats in the northern and southern parts of the northern hobbies' range. They also inhabit parks, heaths, and farmland in the northern parts and wooded grasslands and bush regions in the tropical areas. They apparently fly and nest away from deserts, islands, coastal areas, and dense woodland habitats.
Eurasian hobbies are carnivores or meat-eating animals. With great acrobatic skill, these birds of prey gracefully, and quickly catch small birds and flying insects, such as dragonflies, grasshoppers, beetles, and moths. In tropical regions locusts and flying termites are regular meals. Hobbies may also swoop down and surprise a small mammal or even intercept a bat leaving its roost in the evening. Eurasin hobbies hunt most often at dusk when the light is fading. This is a good time because many other birds are flying to their roosts for the night, and also because more bugs are available. Some larger prey is carried in their sharp, yellow talons to their perch or nest, while they eat insects in flight.
When spring arrives a male Eurasian hobby begins courting, or attracting, a mate. He dives, somersaults, loops, and swoops through the air with great skill and grace. When an interested female approaches, the male may pass a gift of food to her in the air. The two may also lock talons and free fall for 30 feet or more before they let go and continue flying. A male and female may form a pair when the female arrives on the breeding grounds, during migration, or even on the winter grounds in southern Africa or parts of Asia. They remain together throughout the entire mating season and possibly longer. Instead of building their own nest, the two birds search for a nest from a previous year. Some of these nests may have been used for 40 years or more by pairs of hobbies. After fixing the nest and mating, the female lays a clutch, or batch, of two to four yellowish-brown eggs which have red spots. The male may help his mate incubate the eggs, but he lets her sit on the nest most of the 24 to 28 days before they hatch. At one month of age, the young are able to fly for the first time with their parents. They remain with their parents until the fall and then are independent. Maturity comes at two years of age.
It does not appear that the Eurasian hobby fears too many natural predators. However, larger birds may prey on the Eurasian hobby. They are able to live between 10 and 14 years in the wild if left undisturbed. They are not a threatened species.
Bibliography
“Eurasian Hobby - Facts, Diet, Habitat, & Pictures on Animalia.bio.” Animalia, 2024, animalia.bio/eurasian-hobby?custom‗list=690. Accessed 1 May 2024.
Polan, Jason. “Eurasian Hobby - Audubon Field Guide.” National Audubon Society, 2024, www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/eurasian-hobby. Accessed 1 May 2024.