Oriental Hobby Falco severus Scientific name definitions

24–30 cm; 168–249 g; wingspan 61–69 cm (1 Kennedy, R. S., P. C. Gonzales, E. C. Dickinson, H. C. Miranda, and T. H. Fisher (2000). A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Small, short-tailed  , black-and-rufous falcon; solid rufous underparts  separate from other hobbies; female 9% larger than male on average (2 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Irides dark brown; cere, orbital rings and feet yellow (1 Kennedy, R. S., P. C. Gonzales, E. C. Dickinson, H. C. Miranda, and T. H. Fisher (2000). A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Juvenile similar to adult but brownish-black on back and heavily streaked on rufous underparts. Clinal variation in plumage tone, from paler birds in W to darker ones in E.

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NW India and Nepal E to Yunnan, Guangdong and Hainan (S China), and S through Burma, Thailand and Indochina to Philippines, Java and Sulawesi, whence E through New Guinea to Solomon Is. Himalayan birds winter S to S India and Sri Lanka.

Forest with clearings, from mangroves at sea-level to deciduous and evergreen forest in foothills and mountains up to 2600 m; also seen hunting over scrub, grasslands, tea plantations and paddyfields (2 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Populations of Himalayas migratory, moving moving S to W and SW India for winter (2 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); others apparently sedentary. Vagrant to Bangladesh (3 Robson, C., Roddis, S. and Loseby, T. (2016). From the field. BirdingASIA. 25: 122–128. Close ), Sumatra (2 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) and Borneo and probably to Malay Peninsula.

Insects, small birds and bats . Hunts from exposed perch on tall tree; when sights prey, launches direct, rapid, strong flight to capture prey in the air; captured prey taken back to perch where eaten . Also hawks dragonflies over water (4 Coates, B. J., and K. D. Bishop (1997). A Guide to the Birds of Wallacea: Sulawesi, The Moluccas and Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. Dove Publications, Alderley, Queensland, Australia. Close ). Hunts most often at dawn and dusk. Often gathers in loose flocks; joins flocks of wood swallows (Artamus) hawking insects.

Generally silent, except around nest. Most frequent call is a fast-repeated “kee-kee-kee...”  (c. 5 notes/second) with a rather nasal tone.

Season varies regionally: Apr–Jul in India and Burma; Jun in Java; Mar in Philippines. Stick nest in tree, usually on slope; uses nests constructed by other birds, mostly other raptors or corvids. Display flights involve series of undulations, with shallow, rapid, fluttering wingbeats on upsweeps, and gliding descent, accompanied by vocalizations. Usually 3–4 eggs; size range 35·0–40·5 mm × 30·8–33·7 mm (5 Becking, J.-H. (2009). The Bartels and other egg collections from the island of Java, Indonesia, with corrections to earlier publications of A. Hoogerwerf. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 129(1):18–48. Close ); incubation 28–30 days, by both sexes; fledging 30+ days. Period of chick dependency unrecorded.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Global population estimate 1000–10,000 individuals. Generally considered rare and local, with populations suspected to be declining owing to ongoing deforestation in much of range (2 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). In Philippines, uncommon but regularly recorded. No threats aside from habitat loss known at present; surveys required over much of range to clarify status. Alleged occurrence in Pakistan has been challenged; recently recorded on Seram.