Hans Joachim Fünfstück

A large falcon mainly distributed in Central Asia, from Mongolia to Central Europe. Northern populations are migratory (including those of Central and East Europe), those from Turkey and Iran are resident. The Sahelian winter distribution of migratory birds range from Senegambia to Sudan.

Season of assessment

B

Population trendDecreasing
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		860-1300,1100
Red List categoryEN
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Saker Falcon

Migratory movements from Central Europe are directed to the South, here mostly to Libya, with some variation around the main flow. Direction of observed movements. In Europe, ringing effort mostly concentrated on breeding sites in Hungary and Slovakia, and concern mainly juveniles, that provides most distant recoveries, including those moving to the East (Russia) or to the West (up to France). Recoveries in Africa are from Libya, Egypt, and one from Mauritania.

Recoveries by Condition for Saker Falcon

Very few and only dead recoveries before 1990, and a neat increase in ringing effort and recovery numbers from the late 1980s onwards, leading to half alive ringing recoveries, obtained mainly during May and June so the breeding season.

Annual Movements for Saker Falcon

Tracking of numerous (45) juveniles from Central Europe provides detailed information on annual movements (see Prommer et al. 2012). Juveniles show partial autumn migration starting in October / November. Those moving go in a SW direction. Females travelled further for winter than males. The main wintering areas for migratory birds are in the Central Mediterranean region, with only females reaching the Sahel. First spring migration started late March / early April

Connectivity by Month by Region for Saker Falcon

In Central Europe, birds are present all year on the breeding grounds, and recoveries of migratory individuals in North Africa are concentrated in March and in October, along a direct southward route. There are also post-breeding dispersal recoveries in August and September, mainly of juveniles wandering in Europe.

Frédéric Jiguet

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
Prommer, M., Bagyura, J., Chavko, J., Uhrin, J.2012 . Migratory movements of Central and Eastern European Saker Falcons (Falco cherrug) from juvenile dispersal to adulthood. Aquila 119: 111–134

Back to Analysis