Eurasian Hobby

A compact, fast-flying falcon, widespread in the Old World, the Eurasian Hobby has appeared in North America several times as a rare stray. Most records have been in Alaska, on the Aleutians and other islands and once on the mainland; it has also wandered to other parts of the continent, including the northwest (south to Washington) and the northeast (south to Massachusetts). Some of the Alaskan records have involved birds coming on board ships far out at sea. The Hobby is similar in behavior to our Merlin, often catching dragonflies or small birds in flight.