Oriental Hobby   Falco severus

Etymology:

• Falco : Latin for Falcon based on Sickle shaped  claws  ( falcis- sickle)
• Severus : Latin for Grim, Cruel

Vernacular name:   Hindi: Purvi Dhutar (M), Dhuti (F), Guj: Moti dhothi, (F) Bharati dhoti, (M) Dhutar 

Distribution in India: Resident of Himalayas and North East India.

Description: Size of 24–30 cm; weight of 168–249 g; wingspan of 61–69 cm. It is a small, short-tailed, black-and-rufous falcon. It has a solid rufous underpart. The female is larger than male on average. The Irides are dark brown; cere, orbital rings and feet are yellow. The juvenile is similar to adult but brownish-black on back and heavily streaked on rufous underparts. There is a clinal variation in plumage tone, from paler birds in West to darker ones in East.

Habitat: It is found in forest with clearings, from mangroves at sea-level to deciduous and evergreen forest in foothills and mountains. It is found up to 2600 m. It is also seen hunting over scrub, grasslands, tea plantations and paddyfields.

Food habits: It eats Insects, small birds and bats. It hunts from exposed perch on tall tree. When it sights prey, it launches direct, rapid, strong flight to capture prey in the air. The captured prey is taken back to perch where eaten. It also hawks dragonflies over water. It hunts most often at dawn and dusk.

Breeding habits: They breed in Apr–Jul in India. The nest is made of sticks in tree, usually on slope. It uses nests constructed by other birds, mostly other raptors or corvids. Their display flights involve series of undulations, with shallow, rapid, fluttering wingbeats on upsweeps, and gliding descent, accompanied by vocalizations. They lay a clutch of 3–4 eggs. The incubation period is 28–30 days done by both sexes. The fledging period is 30+ days.