The Hobby catches it prey, which includes insects, and small birds such as Martins, Swallows, and Swifts in flight.

Hobbies arrive from Africa in May and lay their single clutch of two or three eggs in mid-June. Usually the old nest of another species of bird is used, usually high in a tree which is often a conifer.

The eggs, with spots of reddish-brown, are incubated for 28 days from the laying of the second egg, mostly by the female. The male brings food to his brooding mate and, when the chicks have hatched, for her to feed the young. As the chicks grow, both parents hunt for food. The young begin to fly after 28 to 32 days.

Throughout its British range the hobby has been persecuted by the illegal collection of eggs.

Links to Other Pages on this Site Falconidae   Falco (the true falcons) Birds of Prey

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