Australian hobby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Australian hobby |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Falco
|
| Species: |
longipennis
|
The Australian hobby (Falco longipennis), also known as the little falcon, is a type of bird of prey found in Australia. It is one of six falcon species that live there. This bird is mostly active during the day. Its scientific name, longipennis, means 'long-winged', which describes its long main wing feathers. You can find Australian hobbies all over Australia and in nearby countries. Some even fly to islands like Indonesia and New Guinea.
Contents
What is the Australian Hobby?
The Australian hobby belongs to the Falconidae family, which includes all falcons. Within the Falco group, there are different types of falcons. These include kestrels, merlins, and peregrines. The Australian hobby is part of the 'hobby' group of falcons.
There are usually three main types, or subspecies, of the Australian hobby:
- Falco longipennis longipennis
- Falco longipennis hanieli: This type is a bit smaller and lighter underneath than F. l. longipennis.
- Falco longipennis murchisonianus: This one has lighter blue-grey feathers on its back and a dull blackish head. Its underside is a paler reddish-brown with fewer clear markings.
The Australian hobby is closely related to the northern hobby (Falco subbuteo). The northern hobby lives in Europe and Asia and flies to Africa for winter.
How to Spot an Australian Hobby
The Australian hobby is smaller than many other falcons. It has a slender body and long wings. Its feather colors can change depending on if it's a male or female, how old it is, and where it lives. Birds in humid areas tend to be darker, while those in dry places are lighter.
Generally, the hobby has a black cap on its head and a black mask around its eyes. It has a whitish forehead and a half-collar. Its belly feathers can be blue-grey or reddish-brown, often with darker streaks. Adult hobbies have a pale yellowish-grey beak base (called a cere). Their eye rings are pale blue, their eyes are brown, and their feet are dull yellow.
Female hobbies are larger, usually about 34 to 35.5 centimeters (13.4 to 14 inches) long. Males are a bit smaller, around 30 to 32 centimeters (11.8 to 12.6 inches) long. Their wingspan can be between 66 and 87 centimeters (26 to 34 inches).
People sometimes confuse the Australian hobby with the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). However, the hobby is more slender. It also has longer, thinner wings and is not as powerful a flyer as the peregrine falcon.
Where They Live
Australian hobbies live all over mainland Australia. You can also find them on islands near Australia, like Lord Howe Island. They are not common in Tasmania. Some hobbies also travel to Indonesia and New Guinea.
These birds like most open areas. This includes open woodlands, areas near rivers, and even vegetated parts of cities. They usually do not live near cliffs or steep rocky areas.
What They Eat
The Australian hobby eats many different things. They hunt other birds like the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), house sparrow (Passer domesticus), crimson rosella (Platycercus elegans), and silvereye (Zosterops lateralis). They tend to avoid large or dangerous birds.
Hobbies also eat insects like beetles, cicadas, crickets, and grasshoppers. Sometimes, they even catch insect-eating bats. Studies show that hobbies eat smaller prey compared to their own body size. This is because a large part of their diet is insects.
How They Behave
Flying and Hunting
The hobby is a bird that likes to be alone. It can be quite aggressive. It flies with quick, flickering wing beats and spreads its tail when hovering. When gliding, its wings are flat or slightly drooped. Its flight is often low and fast, zig-zagging over or between plants.
When protecting its territory, hobbies will fly high in circles to scare off other birds of prey. They have been seen attacking other birds of prey that are sitting down. They also dive at birds flying in the air.
Hobbies are common hunters. They often hunt at dusk, during the day, and sometimes at night under artificial lights. They are very good at catching prey in mid-air. They can also attack from a perch or fly fast over treetops. They are very agile when chasing prey. They attack fleeing birds with a series of short, shallow dives. They have also been known to sneak up on groups of shorebirds by flying behind dunes or trees. Hobbies might bother larger birds, but they usually cannot kill them.
Raising Young
Australian hobbies usually nest between August and January. They often take over an old stick nest built by another large bird of prey. The female lays three to four eggs with many blotches. The eggs hatch after about 35 days. Usually, two or three young birds survive. The young birds stay with their parents for up to three months. After that, they fly off on their own or migrate far away.
One young hobby that was tagged in Canberra, Australia, was found 29 days later in Brisbane, Queensland. That's about 1000 kilometers (620 miles) away!
When nesting, hobbies use different perches. They use them to pass food between the male and female, to eat alone, and to guard the nest. Both male and female hobbies help keep the eggs warm. However, after the eggs hatch, the female usually feeds the nestlings. The male hunts more often to bring food to the female and the young. Food is brought to the nest about every three hours, with a longer break in the middle of the day.
What They Sound Like
Scientists have studied the calls of Australian falcons. They found that male hobbies make two main types of calls. One is a wide, clear call, and the other is a trill-like sound. The trill call is made sometimes when the bird is first handled. The clear call is more common. Hobbies use it to defend their territory or to mob (attack) other birds of prey.
During breeding, adult hobbies use two main calls. One is a fast, sharp chatter that sounds like "Kee-Kee-Kee-Kee-Kee." The male makes this call when he brings food to the nest. Both sexes use it as an alarm call, when mobbing other birds, and when choosing and defending a nest. The second call sounds like a squeaky chittering and ticking. This call seems to be used when showing who is in charge or when begging for food.
Young hobbies make an unslurred whining sound when begging for food. They make a chattering "kee-kee-kee..." sound when they are alarmed or excited. The calls of the Australian hobby are similar to, but higher pitched than, the male peregrine falcon when it brings food to the nest. The hobby's alarm and contact calls are also similar to the Australian kestrel (Falco cenchroides).
Protecting the Australian Hobby
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says the Australian hobby is a species of least concern. This means it is not currently at risk of extinction. It is not listed as a threatened species in Australia.
The hobby is listed on Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). This list includes species that are not yet endangered but might become so if their trade is not controlled.
In the past, a chemical called DDT was used in farming. This chemical made the eggshells of some falcons, including the Australian hobby, much thinner. This caused some eggs to break during incubation, leading to fewer young birds. However, it did not cause a widespread decline in the Australian hobby population.
Hobbies can get sick from a virus called columbid herpesvirus-1 (CoHV-1). This virus can make them very sick or even die. They often get this sickness from eating sick rock pigeons (Columbia livia), which can carry the disease.
See also
In Spanish: Alcotán Australiano para niños
