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A hobby is a fairly small, very swift falcon
Falcon

A falcon is any species of bird of prey in the genus Falco. The word comes from their Latin name falco, related to Latin falx because of the shape of these birds' wings....
 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 by hawking, birds are flown down: even swift
Swift

The swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows but are actually not closely related to those passerine species at all; swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes, which they share with the hummingbirds....
s and swallows often cannot outpace or outmanoeuver a hobby.

The "typical" hobbies are traditionally considered a subgenus
Subgenus

In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. See rank and rank .In ICZN, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a binomen, in parentheses, placed between the name of a biological genus and specific name: e.g....
 Hypotriorchis due to their similar morphology
Morphology (biology)

The term morphology in biology refers to form, structure and configuration of an organism. This includes aspects of the outward appearance as well as the form and structure of the internal parts like bones and organs....
: they have ample amounts of dark slaty grey in their plumage; the malar area is black and the underside usually has lengthwise black streaks.






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A hobby is a fairly small, very swift falcon
Falcon

A falcon is any species of bird of prey in the genus Falco. The word comes from their Latin name falco, related to Latin falx because of the shape of these birds' wings....
 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 by hawking, birds are flown down: even swift
Swift

The swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows but are actually not closely related to those passerine species at all; swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes, which they share with the hummingbirds....
s and swallows often cannot outpace or outmanoeuver a hobby.

The "typical" hobbies are traditionally considered a subgenus
Subgenus

In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. See rank and rank .In ICZN, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a binomen, in parentheses, placed between the name of a biological genus and specific name: e.g....
 Hypotriorchis due to their similar morphology
Morphology (biology)

The term morphology in biology refers to form, structure and configuration of an organism. This includes aspects of the outward appearance as well as the form and structure of the internal parts like bones and organs....
: 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
Monophyly

In common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a clade, consisting of an ancestor and all its descendants. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly....
 of Hypotriorchis is supported by DNA sequence
DNA sequence

A DNA sequence or genetic sequence is a succession of letters representing the primary structure of a real or hypothetical DNA molecule or strand, with the capacity to carry information as described by the central dogma of molecular biology....
 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
Miocene

The Miocene is a Geologic time scale of the Neogene period and extends from about 23.03 to 5.33 million years before the present. As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the start and end are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are uncertain....
-Pliocene
Pliocene

The Pliocene epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 1.806 million years before present.The Pliocene is the second epoch of the Neogene period in the Cenozoic era....
 boundary some 8-5 million years ago and subsequently radiated
Evolutionary radiation

An evolutionary radiation is an increase in taxonomy diversity or Morphology disparity, due to adaptation change or the opening of ecospace. Radiations may affect one clade or many, and be rapid or gradual; where they are rapid, and driven by a single lineage's adaptation to their environment, they are termed adaptive radiations....
 - in this case throughout the Old World
Old World

The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans, Asians, and Africans in the 15th century....
. Their relationship to the Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon

The Peregrine Falcon , also known simply as the Peregrine, and historically as the "Duck Hawk" in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution bird of prey in the family Falconidae....
 group and the kestrel
Kestrel

The name kestrel is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around 10?20 m over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects....
s is not well resolved, however; taxa like the Red-footed Falcon
Red-footed Falcon

The Red-footed Falcon , formerly Western Red-footed Falcon, is a bird of prey. It belongs to the family Falconidae, the falcons. This bird is found in eastern Europe and Asia although its numbers are dwindling rapidly due to habitat loss and hunting....
 appear in some respects intermediate between the kestrels and the typical hobbies.

  • Eurasian Hobby
    Eurasian Hobby

    The Eurasian Hobby , 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....
     (Falco subbuteo), also known as the Northern Hobby.
  • African Hobby
    African Hobby

    The African Hobby is a species of bird of prey in the Falconidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique...
     (Falco cuvierii).
  • Oriental Hobby
    Oriental Hobby

    The Oriental Hobby is a species of falcon typically 27-30 cm long. It can be found in the eastern Himalayas and ranges to southern China, Hainan and southwards through Indochina to Southern Asia and Australasia....
     (Falco severus).
  • Australian Hobby
    Australian Hobby

    The Australian Hobby or Little Falcon is a falcon found mainly in Australia. It is also a winter migrant to Indonesia and New Guinea. It is one of Australia's smallest Bird of preys and is about 30-36 cm long....
     or Little Falcon (Falco longipennis) is uncommon but widespread in Australia
    Australia

    Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
    . During the southern winter, some birds migrate
    Bird migration

    Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather....
     to the north of the continent or to the islands of South-east Asia.
  • Sooty Falcon
    Sooty Falcon

    The Sooty Falcon is a medium-sized falcon breeding from northeastern Africa to the southern Persian Gulf region. It belongs to the hobby group, a rather close-knit number of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis....
     (Falco concolor) of the North African desert.
  • Eleonora's Falcon
    Eleonora's Falcon

    Eleonora's Falcon is a medium-sized falcon. It belongs to the hobby group, a rather close-knit number of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis....
     (Falco eleonorae) occupies the Mediterranean area during the northern summer, and migrates
    Bird migration

    Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather....
     south to Madagascar
    Madagascar

    Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the List of islands by area, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are Endemism to Madagascar....
     for the southern summer.


The following species are tentatively placed here:
  • Karearea
    Karearea

    The Karearea, or New Zealand Falcon, Falco novaeseelandiae, is New Zealand's only Endemic birds of New Zealand falcon and indeed, the only remaining bird of prey endemic to New Zealand....
     or New Zealand Falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae).
  • Brown Falcon
    Brown Falcon

    The Brown Falcon, Falco berigora, is a member of the falcon genus found in the drier regions of Australia. Its specific name berigora is derived from an aboriginal name for the bird....
     ( Falco berigora)
  • Taita Falcon
    Taita Falcon

    The Taita Falcon Falco fasciinucha is one of the smallest Falcons in the Southern African Sub-region. It was first found in the Taita Hills of Kenya whence comes its name....
     (Falco fasciinucha)

Footnotes