Falco longipennis
Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The Australian hobby (Falco longipennis), also known as the little falcon, is one of six Australian members of the family Falconidae. This predominantly diurnal bird of prey derives its name 'longipennis' from its long primary wing feathers. It occurs throughout Australia and other neighbouring countries with migrating individuals found on the islands of Indonesia and New Guinea.
The Australian hobby is a member of the family Falconidae and the order Falconiformes. Five major clades have been established in the genus Falco. These include kestrels, merlins, hobbies, hierofalcons and peregrines. Hobbies are somewhat removed from these groups but are still a component of a more inclusive clade.
Three subspecies of Australian hobby are usually recognised. These are: Falco longipennis longipennis, (Swainson, 1838) Falco longipennis murchisonianus (Mathews, 1912) is paler blue-grey above with a dull blackish head, and paler reddish-brown below with less distinct markings.
Of the hobbies in existence including the African hobby (Falco cuvierii) and the Oriental hobby... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice Springs Desert Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Raptor Refuge | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Hobby sighting in Cape Range on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 73rd most-seen of the 84 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Hobby in Cape Range on a given day, against under 5% in March–April and July–January, the lowest months. Those are among Cape Range's wettest months, with about 45 mm of rain a month against almost none in October. February has too few records to rate.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Australian Hobby sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 13
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Australian Hobby sightings, Cape Range ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Wilsons Promontory National Park (Australia, about 10%), Ningaloo Marine Park (Australia, about 10%) and Kosciuszko National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same genus: Falco
The closest relatives of the Australian Hobby that you can see in Cape Range (genus Falco, Typical Falcons) are Australian Kestrel (about 50%) and Brown Falcon (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Australian Hobby is recorded against all the birds logged in Cape Range (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
