Bird - Hobby / Falco subbuteo - Dixon postcard c.1970s

Postcard
• Picture / Image:  Hobby (Falco subbuteo)
• Publisher:  J Arthur Dixon (KBP 23601) Collectacard series
• Postally used:  no
• Stamp:  n/a
• Postmark(s): n/a
• Sent to:  n/a
• Notes / condition: 

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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

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A hobby is a fairly small, very swift falcon with long, narrow wings. There are four birds called hobby, and some others which, although termed falcon, are very similar. All specialise in being superb aerialists. Although they will take prey on the ground if the opportunity presents itself, most prey is caught on the wing; insects are often caught by hawking, and many different birds are caught in flight, where even the quick maneuvering swifts and swallows cannot escape a hobby.

The typical hobbies are traditionally considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis due to their similar morphology: they have ample amounts of dark slaty grey in their plumage; the malar area is black and the underside usually has lengthwise black streaks. The tails are all-dark or have only slight bands (White et al. 1994).

Monophyly of Hypotriorchis is supported by DNA sequence data, though the exact limits of the group are still uncertain. The hobbies seem to be one of the Falco lineages which emerged around the Miocene-Pliocene boundary some 8-5 million years ago and subsequently radiated - in this case throughout the Old World. Their relationship to the peregrine falcon group and the kestrels is not well resolved, however; taxa like the red-footed falcon appear in some respects intermediate between the kestrels and the typical hobbies.^[1]

• Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo), also known as the northern hobby.
• African hobby (Falco cuvierii).
• Oriental hobby (Falco severus).
• Australian hobby or little falcon (Falco longipennis) is uncommon but widespread in Australia. During the southern winter, some birds migrate to the north of the continent or to the islands of South-east Asia.
• Sooty falcon (Falco concolor) of the North African desert.
• Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae) occupies the Mediterranean area during the northern summer, and migrates south to Madagascar for the southern summer.

The following species are tentatively placed here:

• New Zealand falcon or karearea (Falco novaeseelandiae).
• Brown falcon (Falco berigora)
• Taita falcon (Falco fasciinucha)

The Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo), or just simply Hobby, is a small slim falcon. It belongs to a rather close-knit group of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis.^[2]

Adults are slate-grey above with a dark crown and 2 short black moustachial stripes. The throat is unstreaked white, thighs and undertail coverts are unstreaked rufous and rest of the underparts are whitish with black streaks. Close views enable the red ""trousers"" and vent to be seen. Sexes are similar. Juveniles are generally much browner, with scaled upper parts and streaked buffy thighs and undertail coverts.^[3]

The Hobby has a distinct first-summer plumage.^[4]

Size: Length 29–36 cm, Wingspan 74–84 cm, Weight 175-285 g ^[5]

This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Falco subbuteo.^[6]

Currently two subspecies are recognized:

• subbuteo – the nominate race is resident in Africa, Europe and Central and East Asia, winters in Central and South Africa and South Asia
• streichi, described by Hartert and Neumann in 1907, is smaller in size and is found further east of subbuteo's distribution range

This species breeds across Africa, Europe and Asia. It is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Africa and Asia.

It is a bird of open country such as farmland, marshes, taiga and savannah. They are widespread in lowlands with scattered small woods. It is an elegant bird of prey, appearing sickle-like in flight with its long pointed wings and square tail, often resembling a swift when gliding with folded wings. It flies powerfully and fast. It will take large insects, such as dragonflies, which it transfers from talons to beak and eats while soaring slowly in circles.^[7] It also captures small bats and small birds like swallows, swifts, pipits etc. in flight. Its speed and aerobatic skills enable it to take swallows and even swifts on the wing, and Barn Swallows or House Martins have a characteristic ""hobby"" alarm call. It is known to harass swallows while they are roosting and dispersing from roosts.^[3] When not breeding, it is crepuscular, hawking principally in the mornings and evenings. While on migration, they may move in small groups.

Hobbies nest in old nests of crows and other birds. The tree selected is most often one in a hedge or on the extreme edge of a spinney, whence the bird can observe intruders from a considerable distance. It lays 2–4 eggs. Incubation is said to take 28 days and both parents share in this duty, though the female does the greater part.^[8]

It is a very bold and courageous bird and was used in falconry, trained to hawk birds like quails, larks, hoopoes, drongos etc.^[9]

type=printed

animal subject=bird

period=post-war (1945-present)

postage condition=unposted

number of items=single

size=continental/ modern (150x100 mm)