Falcon, Sooty

Conservation status:

Rare Summer Visitor

Description:

Size and shape similar to Hobby . Long-winged, but tail slightly shorter; elongated central tail feathers (sometimes seen in Hobby) but closed tail-tip pointed. Adult has slaty blue-grey upperparts with darker primaries and outer uppertail, blue-grey underparts (underwings appear paler). Female darker, less contrasting above. Young Sooty told from similar Hobby by greyer upperparts with darker wing-tip, less clearly streaked yellow-brown underparts, the spot-streaks almost merging on upper breast as a diffuse dark band; lightly marked dusky underwing has dark wing-tip and trailing edge; undertail finely barred except near end (Hobby has undertail barred to tip). Wing-beats fast; flight recalls Hobby but glides on level wings (lowered in Hobby). When perched, wing-tip as long as, or slightly longer than tip of tail. Breeds in late summer, feeding young on autumn migrants.