A passing migrant during spring (March – April) and autumn (September – October) through Cyprus and the Akamas peninsula, with few pairs breeding on the island. It’s usually seen singly and more rarely in small groups of few individuals during migration periods, sometimes within other falcon species flocks.

It has excellent flying abilities and can reach great speeds in a direct flight. It’s among the very few species that have the ability to catch swallows and swifts on air, that’s why these birds are very alarmed when they spot a Hobby in their area.

It feeds on big flying insects (e.g. dragonflies, grasshoppers etc.) and on a variety of bird species chasing and catching them on air. It’s a medium sized falcon, elegant, with long, narrow wings and medium length, squared tail. It resembles a large swift when in flight. The upper side is uniformly dark (almost black). It has a narrow, rather short moustache, a white throat, whitish breast and belly with intense black spots on a vertical direction and characteristic red ‘trousers’.