African Hobby

Falco cuvierii

Dark, compact, medium-sized falcon. Blue-gray on the back, black on the head, and rufous below. The adults have faint or no streaking below, while immatures have broad streaks. Flight is fast, direct, and powerful. Most active at dawn and dusk. Local and uncommon in a wide variety of habitats, including forest, forest edge, woodland, and savanna. Sometimes hunts over very open habitats like grassland. Gives “kwe” and “keek” calls. Similar in coloration to Taita Falcon, but has a rufous throat and a longer tail. Separated from Eurasian Hobby by the completely rufous underparts.

Identification

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 marete span 70 centimetres (28 in).

Taxonomy

African hobby is a monotypic species. As a typical hobby it has been traditionally considered a member of the subgenus Hypotriorchis due to its similar morphology to the other hobbies.

Scientific name
Falco cuvierii
Authority
Smith, A, 1830
Order
Falconiformes
Family
Falconidae
Genus
Falco

Range and habitat

It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This species can be nomadic, following food sources. They are mostly found in the edge of moist woodlands and forests, commonest in palm savannah and gallery forest in west and western regions of East Africa. They are less common in central Africa and north-eastern Africa.

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Handsome Spurfowl

Handsome Spurfowl

Pternistis nobilis

Large, chunky brown francolin with a red bill and bare red skin around the eye. Found in montane forest, forest edge, and bamboo. Often in pairs. Reclusive, but will emerge onto roads and paths, especially early and late in the day. The call alternates lower “kroo” notes with higher “kreek” notes. Also gives simpler raspy single notes and series. Similar to Scaly Francolin, but larger and richer brown, with red bare skin around the eye.

Yemen Warbler

Yemen Warbler

Curruca buryi

Unusual and distinctive warbler of the southwest Arabian highlands. Gray-brown, with a darker cap, paler throat, and pale eye. Found in dry montane scrub and woodland, including juniper and acacia woodland. Generally skulking, but will sometimes come into the open. The song is a loud and distinctive, but variable, series of mix of musical warbled notes. Scratchy, scolding calls are often given on their own, but can also be mixed into the song. Similar in overall shape and size to several other warblers, but identified by the browner overall coloration, with more dusky underparts. Further separated from confusion species like Arabian Warbler by the pale eye.

Ash-winged Antwren

Ash-winged Antwren

Euchrepomis spodioptila

Tiny bird of rainforest canopy. Key field marks are white wing bars, clear pale gray underparts, thin black line through eye, and (especially) contrasting rufous back. Occurs in tall rainforest, where it follows canopy mixed-species flocks and is almost never found away from them. Feeds actively on insects, gleaning from foliage and often hanging upside-down, thereby offering a dorsal view that should facilitate identification. Song, which carries surprisingly far, is a thin, staccato trill, fast and accelerating. Smaller and more active than most other species in canopy flocks; habit of hanging upside-down recalls a greenlet, but face pattern, wing bars and contrasting back color are distinctive.

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