Hobby

The Hobby is a slim, medium-sized falcon about the same size as a Kestrel but with longer, sharper wings. When flying, it has a distinctive shape that looks similar to a large swift. Adult birds have dark grey backs, streaked underparts, and noticeable rusty-red feathers on their thighs and under their tail. Their face shows strong dark stripes near the beak against pale cheeks. The Hobby visits Britain in the summer, arriving in April and leaving by October. It breeds across southern and central England in open woodlands, heathlands, and farmland with scattered trees. It is an extremely skilled hunter in the air, catching dragonflies, swallows, and martins while flying with great speed and agility. The Hobby spends the winter in sub-Saharan Africa, with British birds making this long journey every year. You can often see Hobbies hunting over wetlands and heath areas on summer evenings when insects are most active.