Falcon catches Swift

This is the pursuit of a Common Swift (apus apus) by the male of a nesting pair of falcons known as a Hobbies (falco subbuteo). The pursuit lasted over three minutes, with the Swift managing to avoid all attempts at capture, until finally distracted by the arrival of the female Hobby. Within seconds of the male Hobby making the catch, the female claims the prize and returns to her chicks.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• bird
• falcon
• flight
• flying
• catch
• hobby
• hobbies
• swift
• falco
• subbuteo
• apus
• hobereau
• baumfalke
• boomvalk
• larkfalk
• チゴハヤブサ
• 隼科]
• 燕隼
• Чеглок
• ヨーロッパアマツバメ
• 雨燕
• Черный
• стриж
• wawensmoor
• warwickshire

[HepaOlms]

The situation is the following: Two Hobbies are chasing a single Swift - under normal conditions a single Hobby can`t outfly a Swift. But...by the way: Very rare video -respect.

MfG

[betacygni]

The 3-minute pursuit was by just the male Hobby - the female only flew over there at the last moment. The fact that the lone Hobby bothered with a long chase (and several times nearly caught the Swift) suggests that this particular Hobby, at least, is capable of "outflying" Swifts.

The Hobby also appears to have the stamina to wear the Swift down.

Hobbies are much faster than Swifts, but the smaller and lighter Swift can avoid most attempts at grabbing by deft manoeuvres.

[keili1212]

the White-throated Needletail is still faster.(fastest bird in flapping flight ever!)

[twentius777]

nice dogfight

[ionut86g]

great video ...great birds...the hobby saw that the swift is weak and involved in a long chase

[achillessniper]

got to love hobbies quite a few round my way- saw some trying to catch hirundines on migration in the pyrenees too, though with no success.

[hex0bite]

Much, much faster. No matter what the noobs post on internet, I watch my pairs for years. I know what I saw. One of my pairs is near factory where they hunt 90% only swifts from the day they return from migration.

[telemarkman]

Wind tunnel experiments prove that the Merlin can fly at a speed of 35 m/s(126 km/h) in a sustained level flight (so can the Eleonoras falcon), so it's not unlikely that a Hobby may reach a maximum speed of 150 km/h in flapping level flight.

This is significantly faster than a Swift, which frequently falls pray to the Hobby.

[MsBrowse]

i've saw this once and that was 3 years ago

[norvalmac7]

As well, nice footage. I watched this a few times and wonder if the Swift was actually playing (in the act of enjoying flight) with what it thought was just another bird. In the end , it came close to the other bird (checking it out) not realizing it was a predator. When it was caught it didn't seem to try and do anything evasive, just in a arch glide?? Unfortunate for the swift, good news for the falcon and it's chicks.

[glasgowstef]

Excellent footage of these rear birds! very impresive

[hex0bite]

To all who didn't know facts I'll say: The Hobby is fastest from the falcon family in active flight, his measured speed is over* 150km/h.