Observation d’un Faucon hobereau capturant un Martinet noir en Loire-Atlantique (France)

The Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo) is about the size of a Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) but it has the dark blue upperparts and facial mask of a Peregrine (Falco peregrinus). It is best identified by its unusually long, rather loose wings and characteristic swift-like flight. Also, the underparts are heavily streaked and the adults have rich chestnut undertail coverts.
It is one of the very few birds of prey capable of outflying swifts, perhaps at a speed approaching 160 km/h. Hobbies provide impressive aerobatic displays spending much of their time in high soaring flight almost out of sight before plummeting earthward with closed wings at a great speed. Wings are spread only when the birds are within a few feet of the ground. Fortunate observers have described exceptionally fast pursuit flights.
In this article, we present you some photos taken in August 2009 in Western France by Grégoire Duffez showing a Hobby catching and killing a Common Swift (Apus apus).