Kestrel vs Hobby
Falco tinnunculus and Falco subbuteo
Comparison notes
Field marks and practical differences
The Common Kestrel and the Hobby are similar-sized falcons often seen across the UK, but they differ notably in flight and plumage. Kestrels have broader, more rounded wings and a distinctive hovering hunting style, with males showing blue-grey heads and spotted chestnut backs, while females are more uniformly reddish-brown with heavy streaking. Their long tails have dark bands and tips, aiding identification when perched or in flight. Kestrels are widespread year-round, favouring open habitats like farmland and urban edges. In contrast, the Hobby is slimmer with longer, pointed wings and a more streamlined silhouette resembling a swift in flight. Its dark grey back, streaked underparts, and rusty-red thighs and undertail stand out, along with strong facial stripes. Hobbies are summer visitors, seen hunting agilely over wetlands and heathlands, often catching dragonflies and swallows on the wing. Unlike kestrels, they do not hover and are less likely to perch conspicuously. Observing flight style and habitat during the warmer months helps separate these two falcons in the field.
Size stats
Compare species by wingspan and weight
- Body length
- 32 - 39 cm
- Wingspan
- 65 - 82 cm
- Weight
- 120 - 250 g
- Body length
- 29 - 35 cm
- Wingspan
- 74 - 84 cm
- Weight
- 140 - 250 g
Habitats
Where they live
Diet breakdown
What they eat
- Insects50%
- Vertebrates40%
- Other Invertebrates10%
- Insects60%
- Vertebrates40%
Species notes
Descriptions and photographer notes
Kestrel
The Common Kestrel is a small bird of prey known for its unique way of hunting. It can hover in the air, staying still with wings beating quickly and tail spread out. Male kestrels have blue-grey heads and tails with chestnut-brown backs covered in spots. Female kestrels are a reddish-brown colour with heavy stripes all over. Both males and females have pointed wings and long tails when flying, with dark tips on their wings and bands at the end of their tails. Kestrels are found widely across the UK, as well as much of Europe, Asia, and Africa. They prefer open areas such as farmland, heathland, roadsides, and towns. They hunt by either hovering in the air or sitting on a perch. Their diet mainly consists of small mammals like voles, but they also eat large insects and sometimes small birds. You can often hear their sharp "kee-kee-kee" call near their nests, which are usually in holes in trees, on cliff edges, or in buildings.
Hobby
The Hobby is a slim, medium-sized falcon about the same size as a Kestrel but with longer, sharper wings. When flying, it has a distinctive shape that looks similar to a large swift. Adult birds have dark grey backs, streaked underparts, and noticeable rusty-red feathers on their thighs and under their tail. Their face shows strong dark stripes near the beak against pale cheeks. The Hobby visits Britain in the summer, arriving in April and leaving by October. It breeds across southern and central England in open woodlands, heathlands, and farmland with scattered trees. It is an extremely skilled hunter in the air, catching dragonflies, swallows, and martins while flying with great speed and agility. The Hobby spends the winter in sub-Saharan Africa, with British birds making this long journey every year. You can often see Hobbies hunting over wetlands and heath areas on summer evenings when insects are most active.