Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Australian Hobby

Falco longipennis Swainson, 1838

250 gWeight

The Australian hobby (Falco longipennis), also known as the little falcon, is one of six Australian members of the family Falconidae.

Busiest months: January–May and October · Most records: Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January–May and October · Most records: Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia

Australian Hobby has been recorded at 236 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Western Treatment PlantAustralia2,071 records
  2. Herdsman LakeAustralia784 records
  3. Bowra Wildlife SanctuaryAustralia614 records
More places
  1. Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature ReserveAustralia515 records
  2. Oxley Creek CommonAustralia488 records
  3. Townsville Town Common Conservation ParkAustralia316 records
  4. Albert ParkAustralia307 records
  5. Roebuck Plains StationAustralia261 records
  6. North LakeAustralia184 records
  7. Royal Botanic Gardens MelbourneAustralia183 records

Countries and regions with the most records

AustraliaPapua New GuineaIndonesiaTimor-Leste

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Australian hobby (Falco longipennis), also known as the little falcon, is one of six Australian members of the family Falconidae. This predominantly diurnal bird of prey derives its name 'longipennis' from its long primary wing feathers. It occurs throughout Australia and other neighbouring countries with migrating individuals found on the islands of Indonesia and New Guinea.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Australian Hobby?

The Australian Hobby weighs around 250 g.

Where does the Australian Hobby live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: Lesser Sundas and Australia. It is most often recorded in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

When is the best time to see the Australian Hobby?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February, March, April, May and October (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Australian Hobby endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Australian Hobby as Least Concern.

What does the Australian Hobby eat?

Main food: Vertebrate prey.

What family is the Australian Hobby in?

It belongs to the family Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae), order Falconiformes.

At a glance

Weight
250 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Vertebrate prey
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
255 mm
Tail
128 mm
Bill
20 mm
Tarsus
36 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: Lesser Sundas and Australia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Caracaras, Falcons Falconidae
Genus
Falco

Other birds in the genus Falco

Lesser KestrelLesser KestrelFalco naumanniCommon KestrelCommon KestrelFalco tinnunculusRock KestrelRock KestrelFalco rupicolusMalagasy KestrelMalagasy KestrelFalco newtoniMauritius KestrelMauritius KestrelFalco punctatusSeychelles KestrelSeychelles KestrelFalco araeusSpotted KestrelSpotted KestrelFalco moluccensisNankeen KestrelNankeen KestrelFalco cenchroidesAmerican KestrelAmerican KestrelFalco sparveriusGreater KestrelGreater KestrelFalco rupicoloidesFox KestrelFox KestrelFalco alopexGrey KestrelGrey KestrelFalco ardosiaceus
Australian Hobby

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Janne Kearney. ↗

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