ABSTRACT
The Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo) is a small falcon breeding in the Western Palearctic and wintering in Africa, mainly south of the Equator. This fly-and-forage migrant performs a trans-equatorial journey and travels on a broad front without avoiding large sea crossings. Consequently, visual counts from traditional watchsites are scarce and not helpful to draw the migration routes. On the other hand, satellite telemetry studies revealed the routes followed by some individuals from Sweden and Germany. These birds cover ca. 9,000 km in 40-60 days, using a wide corridor, but concentrating significantly in order to cross the equatorial rainforest in its narrower region. Further research is needed to compare spring vs. autumn migration, also tracking birds from more eastern areas.
