African Hobby

African Hobby

Falco cuvierii

Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Kampala

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

339 Verified sightings at Kampala
192 In all 14 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the African Hobby

The African hobby (Falco cuvierii) is a small species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A small, slim falcon with blackish upperparts and deep rufous underparts with rufous cheek, nape and throat. At close range black streaks can be seen on the throat and flanks. The facial skin and feet are yellow. Juvenile birds are browner above with heavier streaking on the underparts and paler on cheek, nape and throat. Their length is 20 centimetres (7.9 in) and wing span 70 centimetres (28 in).

They are mostly found in the edge of moist woodlands and forests, commonest in palm savannah and gallery forest in west and western regions of East Africa. They are less common in central Africa and north-eastern Africa.

Hunts on the wing, mainly at dawn and dusk. When not breeding the African hobby is thought to feed almost entirely on flying insects: termite alates, grasshoppers, locusts, beetles and cicadas have all been recorded. Feeding concentrations of up to 30 birds have been recorded when termite alates or locusts are swarming. When breeding a high proportion of small birds such as weavers, estrildid finches and swallows up to the... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:14

Guinea · 2022

© Paul Lenrumé · XC710685 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
2 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
<5%
3 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
4 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
5 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
6 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
7 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
8 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
9 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
10 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
11 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
12 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
13 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
14 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kampala 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
2 Accra 🇬🇭 Ghana
<5%
3 Kigali 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an African Hobby in Kampala?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report an African Hobby sighting in Kampala on a given day, based on 339 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 73rd most-seen of the 332 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an African Hobby in Kampala?

July and August

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report an African Hobby in Kampala on a given day, against under 5% in April, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see an African Hobby?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Hobby sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Kampala the best place to see an African Hobby?

Yes

Of the 3 cities where we can rate African Hobby sightings, Kampala has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Accra (Ghana, under 5%) and Kigali (Rwanda, under 5%).

Where does the African Hobby sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the African Hobby is recorded against all the birds logged in Kampala (339 verified sightings), 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.

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