Australian Hobby

Description:

Sexes are similar. Male smaller. Upper parts are slate-grey to black, with black shaft streaks and greyer edging to back and wing coverts. Flight and tail feathers are dusky grey with hidden buff bars. Sides of face and sometimes crown, black. Forehead, throat and collar, at sides of neck are buff-cream. Rest of undersurface rufous-brown, streaked black on breast and thighs and grading to black mottling on belly and flanks. Extreme southeastern, southwestern and Tasmanian birds are much the darkest. Eye dark brown; eye-ring bluish white. Bill is light grey with black tip; cere dull yellow. Feet dull yellow; claws dusky.

Habitat:

All over Australia where there are trees, particularly open wooded country. This Australian Hobby was spotted at the Wooroolin Wetlands. Blown Grass; Green Couch;Wild Cow Pea; Early-flowering Black Wattle are some of the vegetation in this area. Plenty of places for prey animals to be found.

Notes:

Has a shrill twittering, repeated call and a shrill, harsh chatter in defense. This is one of the grey-backed race. I didn't know what bird I had photographed and am now delighted to have identified it, so that I could mark it off my bird list These photos have been edited. Reference comes from Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds.