Falco subbuteo

The Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo), or just simply hobby, is a small, slim falcon. It belongs to a rather close-knit group of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis. The first formal description of the Eurasian hobby was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the present binomial name Falco subbuteo. The genus name falco derives from Late Latin falx, falcis, a sickle, referring to the claws of the bird. The species name subbuteo is from Latin sub, 'near to' and buteo, ' buzzard' . The species' English name comes from Old French hobé or hobet. It became the trademark for the Subbuteo games company after its creator was refused permission to register 'Hobby'.