Justification This species has been reclassified as Vulnerable because a recent analysis of all available data suggests that declines have been less severe than was previously suspected. It has nevertheless undergone a rapid population decline, particularly on the central Asian breeding grounds, owing to unsustainable capture for the falconry trade, as well as habitat degradation and the impacts of agrochemicals. Further research to monitor key populations and to clarify the extent of the threat from trapping and its effect on population trends is vital.

Family/Sub-family Falconidae

Species name author Gray, 1834

Taxonomic source(s) AERC TAC (2003), Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

19,200 - 34,000

decreasing

10,300,000 km²

No

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: The Saker is physically adapted to hunting close to the ground in open terrain, combining rapid acceleration with high manoeuvrability, thus specialising on mid-sized diurnal terrestrial rodents (especially ground squirrels Citellus) of open grassy landscapes such as desert edge, semi-desert, steppes and arid montane areas; in some areas, particularly near water, it switches to birds as key prey, and has recently substituted domestic pigeons for rodents in parts of Europe^3,11. It uses copses or cliffs for nest sites (sometimes even the ground), occupying the old nests of other birds^3,11. Clutch sizes varies from two to six, with means from 3.2 to 3.9 in different circumstances^3,11. Breeding success varies with year (especially in areas where rodents cycle)^3,11. Birds are sedentary, part-migratory or fully migratory, largely depending on the extent to which food supply in breeding areas disappears in winter^3,11.

Threats In Europe the Saker has suffered mainly from the loss and degradation of steppes and dry grasslands through agricultural intensification, plantation establishment and declines in sheep pastoralism, causing a decline in key prey species; offtake for falconry is also a problem, which has caused local extinctions^3,4,13. In eastern Hungary, landscape reversion following the abandonment of agriculture could have a negative influence, as most prey species require short swards that are maintained by agricultural practices¹². Elsewhere declines are mainly attributable to offtake for falconry, although human persecution, pesticide use (notably in Mongolia in 2003) and agrochemical deployment play a lesser part^{2,3,5,6,7,9,10}. The number of Sakers trapped annually for Middle East falconers has been estimated at 4,000 in Saudi Arabia, 1,000 in Qatar and 500-1,000 in each of Bahrain, Kuwait and UAE, which, allowing for a 5% mortality prior to receipt, indicates an annual consumption of 6,825-8,400 birds^6,7. Of these, the great majority (77%) were believed to be juvenile females, followed by 19% adult females, 3% juvenile males and 1% adult males, potentially creating a major bias in the wild population^6,7. Another study however gives a far lower estimate for numbers legally trapped in Saudi Arabia, at an average of 22 birds per year in the period 2002-2009¹⁷. Hybridisation with escaped or released hybrid falcons could influence the genetic integrity of wild populations^{12, 14}.

Conservation measures underway The Saker is a protected and red-listed species in many range states, particularly in the western parts of its range^3,4. It is listed on CITES Appendix II, and in 2002 CITES imposed a trade ban on UAE, strongly affecting the unregulated market there⁷. Intensive wardening and management has produced a steadily rising population in Hungary⁴. Controls of illegal trade were implemented in various countries in western range in 1990s⁴. Captive breeding has developed strongly in some countries including UAE as a means of substituting farmed for wild-caught birds^8,10. Clinics have also been set up to improve the longevity and availability of wild-caught birds in various Gulf states^1,10. New research programmes in many parts of the range have begun to establish baseline data on distribution, population, ecology and threats. In Mongolia the process of erecting 5,000 artificial nests has begun, funded by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, which are predicted to provide nesting sites for up to 500 pairs of Sakers by 2015¹⁶.

Conservation measures proposed Maintain or implement programmes of population and habitat management throughout the range. Maintain or improve systems of wardening and customs control (including DNA sampling to check provenance of traded birds). Continue key biological researches^3,4. Enforce CITES regulations, particularly in the Middle East and Asia. Improve exportation standards including meeting IATA transportation specifications. Improve import regulations, staff capacity and practices (quarantine facilities). Monitor markets to quantify falcon trade. Develop existing microchipping schemes to help monitor and regulate trade and quantify its effects. Increase awareness of health and conservation issues among falconers. Continue studying, monitoring and censusing falcons throughout. Maintain ecologically and socially sustainable grazing systems to ensure long-term survival of key prey species. Bring greater protection (against conversion, degradation and pollution) to key breeding environments^1,3,6,7.

References 1. Bailey et al. (2001). 2. Barton (2000). 3. Baumgart (1991). 4. Baumgart (1994). 5. Eastham et al.(2000). 6. ERWDA (2003). 7. Fox (2002). 8. N. Fox in litt. (2002). 9. Haines (2002). 10. Riddle and Remple (1994). 11. Snow and Perrins (1998). 12. S. Nagy in litt. (2007). 13. K. Ruskov in litt. (2007). 14. Nittinger et al. (2007). 15. BirdLife International (unpublished data). 16. A. Dixon in litt. (2010). 17. M. Shobrak in litt. (2010).

Further web sources of information

CITES Significant Trade Review for Saker Falcon

Detailed species account from Birds in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status (BirdLife International 2004)

Text account compilers Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Nigel Collar (BirdLife International), James Gilroy (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Contributors Michael Westerbjerg Andersen, Istvan Balazs (BirdLife Hungary), Ian Burfield (BirdLife International - European Division), Andrew Dixon (International Wildlife Consultants Ltd), Nick Fox, Vladimir M. Galushin (Russian Bird Conservation Union), Johannes Kamp (Universitat Oldenburg), Igor Karyakin (Center of Field Studies), Todd Katzner (National Aviary), Robert Kenward (Natural Environment Research Council), András Kovács, A Levin, Szabolcs Nagy (BirdLife International - European Division), Elvira Nikolenko, Yo Onon (WWF (Mongolia)), Peter Pechacek, Eugene Potapov (Russian Working Group on Birds of Prey), Attila Sandor (SOR/BirdLife Romania), Mohammed Shobrak (National Wildlife Research Centre), Svetoslav Spasov (Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds)

IUCN Red List evaluators Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Nigel Collar (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Falco cherrug. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 30/7/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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