Basic Principles

Falcons are always exciting, often sudden and dramatic in their appearances, but they can present significant identification challenges, particularly at range, but also on closer views. Three species – Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Hobby and Eleonora’s Falcon – are profiled here.

Peregrine Falcon

This species has one of the most extensive ranges of any bird, being found on every continent bar Antarctica and occurring in numerous subspecies. In Britain the nominate subspecies was confined to the coastal and upland cliffs of the north and west, due to persecution and the use of agricultural pesticides. In recent years, however, it has spread south and east into lowland Britain, now breeding regularly on tall manmade structures, often in urban environments.

It is a great wanderer and Britain also hosts migrant and wintering Peregrines from northern Europe, and potentially also birds of the Russian Arctic-breeding subspecies calidus.

This is a relatively large falcon and the biggest females can be very large indeed, even suggesting Gyr Falcon. It is powerful and thickset, broad bodied and relatively short and broad tailed, with short but broadbased and sharply pointed wings, the whole effect frequently likened to a ‘flying anchor’.

It is always impressive in flight, conveying a sense of imminent action, often soaring high in the sky only to perform its remarkable trademark ‘stoop’ as it hunts pigeons, ducks or waders. Its level flight is fast, with rapid, shallow, rather stiff, almost Northern Fulmar-like wingbeats interspersed with glides.

Adults of both sexes have slate-grey upperparts, a black ‘hood’ and ‘moustaches’ and white underparts finely barred dark. At range they appear uniformly pale below with no contrasts in the underwing, but when seen from above the paler rump and uppertail coverts catch the eye.

Juveniles are dark brown above with pale feather fringing and more buff below with longitudinal dark underbody streaking. Some juveniles from northern European populations (and also Russian calidus) are whiter below and around the head, typically with more pronounced supercilia and thinner ‘moustaches’.

Eurasian Hobby

Breeding right across Europe and Palearctic Asia, Eurasian Hobby is highly migratory, with most wintering in central and southern Africa. It returns to Britain in April, remaining until September, at which time migrant birds from the Continent also pass through.

It breeds most commonly in southern England, but has for some years been both increasing and spreading north. Breeding birds can be elusive, typically nesting in abandoned Carrion Crow nests, but congregations of non-breeding firstsummer birds can build up at favoured wetland sites.

It is an insect specialist, particularly favouring dragonflies, but will also hunt small birds including swifts and hirundines, indeed the alarm-calling of Swallows can often be the first clue to its presence.

This is a small to medium-sized falcon, not dissimilar in size to Common Kestrel, but at range the larger and stockier females can nevertheless be confused with a small male Peregrine. Its structure is rather different, however: slimmer-bodied with a longer, slimmer tail and long, slim wings with a long ‘hand’, the whole effect often likened to a large swift.

The flight is supremely fluid and elegant, often gliding on flat wings and characteristically ‘jinking’ to catch flying insects which it then transfers to its bill in flight. When chasing birds, it is also capable of sudden accelerations with fast, clipped wingbeats and impressive Peregrine-like ‘stoops’.

The overall plumage of adults resembles Peregrine – dark grey above (looking very dark at range) and black hooded with thick black ‘moustaches’, but its white underparts are heavily streaked dark and so at range look dark, contrasting with the white throat.

The thighs, vent and undertail coverts are blood-red, although this doesn’t show up well at distance, simply looking dark. The underwings are well-barred, adding to the overall dark impression, and there is no dark trailing edge to the wing.

Juveniles are less rakish than adults: dark brown above with pale tips to the upperparts and underwing coverts and, often, a pale forehead. They are buff on the underbody (sometimes darker on the thighs, vent and undertail coverts) and, like the adults, heavily streaked.

Eleonora’s Falcon

This species has a highly restricted and fragmented breeding range. Unlike the preceding two species it is a colonial nester, confined to islands and cliffs in North Africa and the Mediterranean.

It is a long-distance migrant, wintering mainly in Madagascar and, although also an insect feeder, it specialises in catching small birds. Indeed the late timing of its breeding cycle is designed to coincide with autumn migration. At this time the falcons hunt together, heading out to sea in search of migrant passerines.

This is a very rare vagrant in Britain, with only eight accepted records to the end of 2020, all falling between June and October. Within the home range it is a relatively easy identification, but vagrants need to be distinguished with great care from both Peregrine and Eurasian Hobby.

This is a relatively large falcon, like a large Eurasian Hobby or a slim Peregrine. Adult males in particular have the elegant proportions of a Eurasian Hobby, with a small-headed appearance, long, slim body, an even longer, slightly round-tipped tail and extremely long, narrow wings with a very long ‘hand’. Its flight is

supremely elegant and acrobatic with deep, flexible wing beats which, on an accelerating bird, can suggest those of an Arctic Skua.

Adults come in two distinct colour morphs: all dark (about 40% of birds) with darker underwing coverts contrasting with paler, silvery undersides to the flight feathers, and a paler morph with a black ‘hood’ and ‘moustaches’, rich rusty-buff underparts with often heavy dark streaking and a similar underwing contrast.

Juveniles look slightly less rakish than adults. Palemorph birds most resemble a large juvenile Eurasian Hobby, but show a subtly darker wing-tip and a slight contrast between darker underwing coverts and paler undersides to the flight feathers. Dark-morph birds show a much greater underwing contrast and are a deeper buff on the underbody.

THREE: Adult Eurasian Hobby (site unknown, Wiltshire, 10 May 2010). The slim body, relatively long tail and long slim wings with a long ‘hand’ indicate that this is a Eurasian Hobby. Note also the very dark grey upperparts, the lack of a contrasting pale area on the rump and uppertail coverts and the concolorous plain uppertail which lacks the barring seen in Peregrine. The dark red undertail coverts can just be seen here also, as can the typical pale ‘notch’ behind the ear coverts.

TWO: Adult Peregrine Falcon (The Urals, Russia, 15 June 2016). This flying bird shows the typical Peregrine silhouette of a thickset, powerful body, short, broad tail and very broad-based wings with a relatively long ‘arm’ and short, pointed ‘hand’. The paler rump and uppertail coverts contrasting with the darker upperparts and tail catch the eye here and would be even more prominent at range.

FOUR: Adult Eleonora’s Falcon (Episkopi, Cyprus, 23 April 2013). The slim body, long wings with a long ‘hand’ and long tail all suggest Eurasian Hobby, as do the concolorous upperparts with no paler rump and uppertail coverts and no tail barring, but the head looks strangely small and reinforces the impression of a larger bird. Examination of the head also shows that this bird lacks hobby’s pale ‘notch’ behind the ear coverts, thus confirming that this is an Eleonora’s Falcon.

FIVE: Adult Peregrine Falcon (Hokkaido, Japan, 22 February 2019). The compact, broad-chested appearance typical of Peregrine is evident here, as are the short, broad-based wings and short, broad tail. Aside from the blackish head markings, the most obvious features are the overall paleness and uniformity of the underparts and underwings, with no darker underwing coverts, and just a very diffuse dark trailing edge to the wing.

SIX: Adult Eurasian Hobby (site unknown, Wiltshire, 13 May 2010). The structural features of Eurasian Hobby, notably the slim body and long tail, are evident here. The red ‘thighs’, vent and undertail coverts are striking too, but note also the rather heavily streaked underbody and strongly marked underwings which at range give a rather dark impression and provide a contrast with the white throat.

SEVEN: Adult Eleonora’s Falcon (Episkopi, Cyprus, 23 April 2013). The proportions of this bird are rather hobby-like, but note the smalllooking head. The plumage, however, is most striking, with very dark, streaked underparts, rusty ‘thighs’, vent and undertail coverts and, most obviously, solidly blackish underwing coverts which contrast strongly with paler, silvery bases to the flight feathers. Note also the lack of a pale ‘notch’ behind the ear coverts. These are all classic features of Eleonora’s Falcon.

EIGHT: Adult Peregrine Falcon (Beeswing, Dumfries and Galloway, 1 March 2006). This Peregrine looks very big, powerful and broad chested, typical of a female. Note also the short, broad tail. The adult plumage can be seen well here, particularly the fine barring on the underparts which do not detract from the overall pale appearance.

NINE: Adult Eurasian Hobby (Helsinki, Finland, 12 July 2005). The typically elegant, long-bodied and long-winged appearance of Eurasian Hobby is obvious here. Note also the dark grey upperparts, red ‘thighs’, vent and undertail coverts, heavily streaked underbody and (just visible) the pale ‘notch’ behind the ear coverts.

ELEVEN: Juvenile Peregrine Falcon (site witheld, Shropshire, 23 June 2009). The powerful, stocky proportions of this bird immediately suggest a Peregrine. The plumage details show it to be a juvenile, notably the pale forehead and crown, broad buffy tips to the upperparts and upperwing feathers and the large dark feather centres in the underparts which give a strongly dark-streaked appearance. Note also the grey cere (yellow in adults).

TEN: Adult Eleonora’s Falcon (Sardinia, Italy, 1 October 2017). This half-hidden bird resembles a Eurasian Hobby, but the rusty ‘thighs’, vent and undertail coverts are a different colour and also extend onto the belly. The face pattern also eliminates Eurasian Hobby, the dark lower edge to the ‘hood’ extending back evenly and lacking a conspicuous pale ‘notch’.

THIRTEEN: Juvenile Eleonora’s Falcon (Sardinia, Italy, 10 October 2014). The very long body and wings combined with a small head all suggest Eleonora’s Falcon. This bird is a juvenile – note the pale forehead and crown, grey cere, strongly-streaked underparts (but paler vent and undertail coverts) and very strongly ‘scalloped’ pale-fringed feathers in the upperparts and upperwings.

TWELVE: Juvenile Eurasian Hobby (Bowers Marsh, Essex, 31 August 2014). This lovely portrait captures well the slim, dainty proportions of this species. The dark-streaked underparts and pale ‘notch’ behind the ear coverts resemble those of the adult, but the slightly paler forehead and crown, grey cere, pale peach ‘thighs’, vent and undertail coverts and pale feather tips in the upperparts and upperwings all indicate that this is a juvenile