Family: Falconidae
In this article, you will learn to identify between the Common Kestrel vs Eurasian Hobby.
Each spring, as warmth spreads northward across Europe, the skies change. Migratory raptors return from Africa, insects rise in abundance, and familiar hunting silhouettes reappear over fields, wetlands, and towns. Among these seasonal movements, two small falcons often share the same airspace: the Common Kestrel and the Eurasian Hobby.
Though similar in size at first glance, they represent two very different ecological strategies. Understanding their structure, behavior, and habitat preferences allows observers across Europe to distinguish them with confidence.
The Common Kestrel
The Common Kestrel is one of the most widespread and recognisable birds of prey in Europe. It occurs from the Atlantic coasts of Portugal and Ireland across central Europe to western Russia, and from southern Scandinavia to the Mediterranean basin. Highly adaptable, it thrives in farmland, grassland, steppe, river valleys, coastal margins, and increasingly in urban environments.
Summer
Resident
Passage
Winter
Its defining behavior is hovering. Facing into the wind, wings beating rapidly and tail fanned, the kestrel holds itself almost motionless in the air. Across Europe, a hovering falcon above a roadside verge or meadow is almost invariably this species.
This hunting method reflects its diet. Kestrels primarily take small mammals such as voles and mice, along with large insects and occasionally small reptiles. They are predators of the ground layer. When wind conditions are unsuitable for hovering, they adopt a perch and wait strategy. Fence posts, power lines, isolated trees, cliff ledges, and city buildings all serve as vantage points.
Structurally, the kestrel shows a compact head, a rounded body, long wings, and an even longer tail. When perched, the wing tips fall well short of the tail tip, a useful identification feature. In flight from below, the overall impression is pale, with a clear dark band at the end of the tail.
Plumage varies slightly across its broad range, yet the general pattern remains consistent. Females are buff below and rich rufous above, marked with dark spotting and barring. Males typically display a grey head and grey tail, contrasting with rufous upperparts. Both sexes show a dark vertical streak through the eye.
The Eurasian Hobby
The Eurasian Hobby is marginally smaller than the kestrel, yet appears more powerful in flight due to its proportions. Long, sharply pointed wings and a comparatively short tail create a sleek, scythe-shaped outline. At rest, the wings reach to or beyond the tail tip, a structural contrast with the kestrel.
The Hobby breeds across much of temperate Europe, from Iberia through France and Germany into eastern Europe and western Russia, and north into southern Scandinavia. It is strongly migratory, spending the non-breeding season in sub Saharan Africa before returning in spring.
Summer
Resident
Passage
Winter
Unlike the kestrel, the Hobby is an aerial specialist. It hunts flying prey, often over wetlands, lakes, and river floodplains where dragonflies are abundant. Captured insects are transferred to the feet and consumed in flight, the wings neatly removed before eating.
Small birds also form part of its diet. Swallows and martins across Europe share the same skies, and the Hobby’s speed allows it to pursue them in direct, powerful chases. Its wing beats are clipped and purposeful, and at a distance it can resemble a large swift.
In flight, the Hobby appears darker overall than the kestrel. The upperparts are slate grey. Below, the underparts are white but heavily streaked. The face is distinctive, with a black cap and mask framing a bright white cheek. The rufous under-tail coverts and upper legs, often described as red trousers, can be visible even in brief views.
Habitat and Behaviour: Key Differences
Kestrels are conspicuous and tolerant of human presence. They breed on cliffs, in quarries, in nest boxes, and on buildings. They are among the most visible raptors.
Hobbies are more discreet. They usually nest in mature trees, often occupying old crow or magpie nests near open feeding grounds. Although they may hunt above towns where swifts gather, they are less often seen perched in exposed positions. When at rest, they favour concealed branches within woodland edges.
How to Tell Them Apart in the Field
For observers across Europe, separating these two falcons is less about memorising subtle feather patterns and more about reading structure and behaviour.
If the bird is hovering steadily over open ground, it is almost certainly a kestrel. If it is slicing through the air at speed, pursuing insects or hirundines high above wetlands or forest edges, the Hobby is the more likely candidate.
Look at proportions. Long tail and shorter wings point to a kestrel. Long pointed wings extending to the tail tip indicate Hobby.
Consider habitat. Open farmland and roadside verges favour the kestrel. Wetlands and woodland edges in summer often signal hobby.
Ad Space
References
- Bildstein, K.L. (2017) Raptors: The Curious Nature of Diurnal Birds of Prey. 1st ed. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. [Accessed 20/02/2026]
- Golley, M. (2016) Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Ireland. 2nd ed. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. [Accessed 20/02/2026]
Citations
- Common Kestrel Map | By IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, species assessors and the authors of the spatial data., CC BY-SA 3.0 [Accessed 20/02/2026] ↩︎
- Eurasian Hobby Map | By IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, species assessors and the authors of the spatial data., CC BY-SA 3.0, [Accessed 20/02/2026] ↩︎
