Hobby Welfare: A Summer Falcon of Heathland and Open Country

Hobbies are elegant summer visitors that arrive in May and specialise in catching dragonflies and hirundines in flight. Their welfare depends on heathland habitats and the insect-rich environments that support their specialist diet.

Key Facts

Hobbies are summer visitors arriving in May and departing by October -- their entire British life is in the breeding season
They specialise in catching dragonflies and aerial prey including swallows and swifts -- extremely fast and agile hunters
Britain holds approximately 2,500-3,000 breeding pairs with the majority in the south and east of England
Hobby numbers have been relatively stable but habitat changes affecting dragonfly availability could affect populations
They nest in old crow or other raptor nests -- often choosing trees on heathland or woodland edges
Hobby chicks hatch in August when dragonfly availability is at its peak -- breeding timing is precisely tuned to prey
They have benefited from the expansion of gravel pits that support dragonfly populations

Welfare Considerations

Hobby welfare is closely tied to the availability of insect prey -- particularly dragonflies and damselflies -- during the breeding season. Habitats that support large dragonfly populations, including heathland bogs, gravel pits, and wetlands, are therefore critical to hobby welfare. Pesticide impacts on insect populations are a welfare concern for this specialist predator. Their late breeding season makes hobbies less vulnerable to some disturbance risks, but persecution in some areas remains a concern. Conservation of heathland and wetland habitats directly supports hobby welfare by maintaining the insect prey base.

What You Can Do

Support heathland conservation and restoration that maintains the dragonfly habitats hobbies depend on
Advocate for pesticide reduction policies that protect invertebrate populations essential for specialist predators
Report hobby breeding locations to local recording groups to support national population monitoring
Donate to RSPB and local wildlife trust heathland management programmes
Appreciate hobby sightings in gravel pit areas where dragonfly populations support their specialist hunting