African Hobby

African Hobby

Falco cuvierii

Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Kigali

In 3 days ~10%

23 Verified sightings at Kigali
192 In all 14 parks From 2019 to 2026
September 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 Kigali?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an African Hobby sighting in Kigali on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 164th most-seen of the 244 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

September

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report an African Hobby in Kigali on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months.

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 Kigali the best place to see an African Hobby?

3rd of 3

Of the 3 cities where we can rate African Hobby sightings, Kigali ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Kampala (Uganda, about 20%) and Accra (Ghana, 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 Kigali (23 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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