About the Eleonora's Falcon
Eleonora's falcon is a medium-sized falcon. It belongs to the hobby group, a rather close-knit number of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Falco. The sooty falcon is sometimes considered its closest relative, but while they certainly belong to the same lineage, they do not seem to be close sister species. The English name and the species name eleonorae commemorate Eleanor of Arborea, Queen or Lady-Judge and national heroine of Sardinia, who in 1392, under the jurisdiction conferred by the Carta de Logu, became the first ruler in history to grant protection to hawk and falcon nests against illegal hunters. The genus name Falco is from Late Latin falx, falcis, a sickle, referring to…
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ID tip
Eleonora's falcon is a bird of prey, 36–42 cm (14–17 in) long with an 87–104 cm (34–41 in) wingspan. It is shaped like a large Eurasian hobby or a small slender peregrine falcon, with its long pointed wings, long tail and slim body. There are two colour morphs: The adult dark morph is all sooty brown, with black underwing coverts. The light morph is more like a juvenile Eurasian hobby, but has buff underparts, and also shows the contrast between the black underwing coverts and paler base to the flight feathers.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Sweden, Germany, Nigeria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Finland, Poland.
When to see it
Peak activity in September · a summer visitor species across most of its range
Easily confused with
New Zealand FalconFalco novaeseelandiaeThe forms of the New Zealand falcon differ in size, colouration, and habitat.
Grey KestrelFalco ardosiaceusIt is a fairly small, stocky kestrel with a large, flat-topped head and fairly short wings that don't reach past the tip of the tail when at rest.
Greater KestrelFalco rupicoloidesThe plumage of the adult is mainly pale rufous, both above and below.
Learn the Eleonora's Falcon for real
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