Falco subbuteo illustration

The hobby (Falco subbuteo, Linnaeus, 1758) is a small falcon known for its agility. It has dark colours, a long tail and long, pointed wings. Its face is white, with an eye patch that extends into a black moustache, like that of the peregrine falcon. The upper parts of the wings and back are brown in colour, unlike the lower parts which are light. The chest is striped and on the belly there is a reddish spot, only visible at close range. This species lives in forest areas all over the country. In Jaime Guimarães Cibrão's illustration there is attention to detail in each spot representing this species, with special attention to the beak area. He used only Indian ink and a nib pen, so his techniques make great use of the play of light and shade through the application of shading and contour.