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African Hobby | Falco cuvierii
The African Hobby is a Southern African bird that belongs to the Falconidae bird family group which includes birds such as Falcons. The description for the African Hobby (Latin name Falco cuvierii) can be found in the 7th Edition of the Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. The Falco cuvierii can be quickly identified by its unique Roberts identification number of 174 and the detailed description of this bird is on page 555. You will find a picture of the African Hobby on page 529. NOTE: The reference for the information following is "Roberts Birds of Southern Africa", 7th Edition*. This edition contained a number of taxonomic changes as well as changes to English names used traditionally and in earlier editions of most bird books in South Africa. The following paragraph notes such changes if any. This bird is known as African Hobby Falcon in the Roberts 6th Edition. There have been no changes in the Latin name for the African Hobby between the Roberts 6th and Roberts 7th Edition The African Hobby is known in Afrikaans as Afrikaanse Boomvalk. The African Hobby has a height of 30 cms and weighs around 165 gms. The head is coloured black while the bill is coloured black. The Falco cuvierii has a grey coloured throat, orange legs and a black coloured back. The eyes are brown. Take note of the main distinguishing features such as colour, size and leg length relative to the body size. Colours of body parts can be helpful. Be aware what may appear brown to one person is described in Roberts using some other word ... for example brown, black. See colours used in Roberts. Head is black Eyes are brown Bill is black Legs are orange Throat is grey Back is black Feeding Habits ...This bird forages for food on the ground The Falco cuvierii attacks its prey aerially and feeds on wing or takes the prey to a secluded venue where it is killed, torn into small pieces and eaten The Falco cuvierii attacks smaller birds in flight and uses its sharp claws to break the bird's neck. Some of the birds are attacked in their nests while others are killed on the ground. The African Hobby eats the eggs of its victim. This bird eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. These invertebrates are usually hawked aerially, killed and then eaten . Breeding, Habitat and Nesting Habits ...The African Hobby is a monogamous bird which means that the bird finds and breeds with one partner for the rest of its life. The bird lays between eggs and they are coloured . The nest is built high up in the tree canopy and is protected from predators by branches and the dense green foligae. The African Hobby is mainly found in light and densely wooded forests, where there are Mopane trees. The bird is mainly found in the Savanna grasslands where it breeds and feeds. The bird is found in the African bushveld This bird is very common in most of the Southern African Forests Seen in Flocks, Singles or Pairs Normally ...The African Hobby is mainly seen singly or in pairs in the wild. It is also seen in flocks |
