African Hobby
Falco cuvierii
The African Hobby (Falco cuvierii) is a rare falcons and caracara found in 34 countries, weighing about 182 g. The African hobby is a small species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae.
About the African Hobby
The African hobby is a small species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
A small, slim falcon with blackish upperparts and deep rufous underparts with rufous cheek, nape and throat. At close range black streaks can be seen on the throat and flanks. The facial skin and feet are yellow. Juvenile birds are browner above with heavier streaking on the underparts and paler on cheek, nape and throat. Their length is 20 centimetres (7.9 in) and wing span 70 centimetres (28 in).
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in South Africa, Niger, Equatorial Guinea, Malawi.
When to see it
The African Hobby can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an African Hobby?
- A small, slim falcon with blackish upperparts and deep rufous underparts with rufous cheek, nape and throat. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an African Hobby?
- The African Hobby is a medium sized bird weighing about 182 g.
- Where can you see an African Hobby?
- The African Hobby occurs in 34 countries, including Uganda, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya and the Gambia.
- What birds look similar to an African Hobby?
- The African Hobby is most easily confused with the Laggar Falcon, the Dickinson's Kestrel and the Spotted Kestrel.
- Is the African Hobby endangered?
- The African Hobby is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the African Hobby for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.