LC
African Hobby Falco cuvierii



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2021 Least Concern
2016 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency low
Land-mass type Average mass -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 18,200,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown poor suspected 2009
Population trend decreasing - suspected 2016-2029
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 1-5% - - -
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 1-10% - - -
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 1-10% - - -
Generation length 4.33 years - - -

Population justification: Ferguson-Lees and Christie (2001) suggested that the population was larger than 10,000 individuals.

Trend justification: The population is suspected to be declining locally owing to deforestation. During 2000-2020, c.8% of forest cover was lost within the species's range (Global Forest Watch 2021), equating to a decline of c.5% over three generations (12.99 years [Bird et al. 2020]). During 2016-2020, c. 4% of forest cover was lost within the species's range (Global Forest Watch 2021), equating to a decline of c. 12% when projected forward over three generations. However the species has adapted well to cultivated and suburban habitats (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001), therefore the rate of decline caused by forest loss is likely to be lower than this. In Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the number of birds decreased within and outside protected areas between 1969-1973 and 2003-2004 from 1.1 to 0.6 individuals per 100km and from 0.6 to 0 individuals per 100km respectively (Thiollay 2006).


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Angola extant native yes
Benin extant native yes
Botswana extant native yes
Burkina Faso extant native yes
Burundi extant native yes
Cameroon extant native yes
Central African Republic extant native yes
Chad extant native yes
Congo extant native yes
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the extant native yes
Côte d'Ivoire extant native yes
Equatorial Guinea extant uncertain
Eswatini extant vagrant
Ethiopia extant native yes
Gabon extant native yes
Gambia extant native yes
Ghana extant native yes
Guinea extant native yes
Guinea-Bissau extant native yes
Kenya extant native yes
Liberia extant native yes
Malawi extant native yes
Mali extant native yes
Mozambique extant native yes
Namibia extant native yes
Niger extant native yes
Nigeria extant native yes
Rwanda extant native yes
Senegal extant native yes
Sierra Leone extant native yes
Somalia extant native yes
South Africa extant native yes
South Sudan extant native yes
Sudan extant native
Tanzania extant native yes
Togo extant native yes
Uganda extant native yes
Zambia extant native yes
Zimbabwe extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Plantations suitable resident
Artificial/Terrestrial Urban Areas suitable breeding
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland major resident
Savanna Dry major resident
Altitude 0 - 3000 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact
Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Reduced reproductive success
Biological resource use Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest] Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation
Pollution Agricultural & forestry effluents - Herbicides and pesticides Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Indirect ecosystem effects, Species mortality

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Food - animal subsistence, national
Medicine - human & veterinary subsistence, national
Pets/display animals, horticulture international

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: African Hobby Falco cuvierii. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/african-hobby-falco-cuvierii on 03/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 03/12/2024.