Eurasian Hobby

Eurasian Hobby
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Falco subbuteo

Malay Name: Rajawali Tongkeng Merah Utara

Chinese Name: 燕隼

Range: Found from Europe, temperate Asia, northern Indian subcontinent, China, northern Korea to northern Japan and winters south to Africa, Indian subcontinent, southern China, Indochina, the Thai-Malay Peninsula and Java.

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: subbuteo, streichi.

Local Subspecies: subbuteo

Size: 30-36 cm

Identification: Adult resembles juvenile Peregrine Falcon but is significantly smaller and has darker crown, narrower moustachial stripe, unbarred uppertail, heavily streaked breast/belly and reddish-rufous vent. Juvenile resembles adult but has duller crown/upperparts and buffish vent.

Similar looking species: Amur Falcon, Eurasian Hobby, Peregrine Falcon

Habitat: Open country, reclaimed land and wooded areas.

Behaviour/Ecology:

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2021)

Featured articles:

Featured reports: Oct 2023, Oct 2024, Nov 2024

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Peak weeks Oct 22-Oct 28, Oct 29-Nov 04
Early date 23 Oct 2020
Late date 30 Oct 2023
Only one confirmed record for Singapore in Oct 2020 at Henderson Waves.
Eurasian Hobby at Henderson Waves. Photo credit: Mohamad Zahidi Hamid
Adult Eurasian Hobby at Corsham Park, Wiltshire, UK. Photo Credit: Pete Blanchard.
Eurasian Hobby at Mount Faber. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Eurasian Hobby at Mount Faber. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Juvenile Eurasian Hobby at Portbury Wharf Reserve, UK. Photo Credit: Pete Blanchard.

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Eurasian Hobby)

References:

BirdLife International. (2021). Falco subbuteo. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22696460A206270514.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.

Lim, K. S. (2009). The Avifauna of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore).

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Eurasian Hobby. Retrieved on May 13, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/eurasian-hobby.

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