Saker Falcon
Falco cherrug
The Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) is a legendary falcons and caracara found in 23 countries, weighing about 961 g. The saker falcon is a large falcon species.
About the Saker Falcon
The saker falcon is a large falcon species. It breeds from Central Europe eastwards across the Palearctic to Manchuria. It is a partial migrant, which means that some part of the population is migratory, some part is not. In Europe, for example, a part of the juveniles are migrating, while adults are mostly resident. The European and West Asian migratory sakers spend the winter in the Sahel region. On migration, they cross the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, and Pakistan, where they are exposed to illegal trapping. The migratory birds to the east from Altai Mountains spend the winter in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The saker falcon is a large hierofalcon, larger than the lanner falcon and almost as large as gyrfalcon at 45–57 cm (18–22 in) length with a wingspan of 97–126 cm (38–50 in). Males weigh between 730–990 g (26–35 oz) and females 970–1,300 g (34–46 oz). It resembles a larger but browner Gyrfalcon. It is larger and more heavily built than the related Lanner Falcon. Saker falcons tend to have variable plumage. Males and females are similar, except in size, as are young birds, although these tend to be darker and more heavily streaked. The call is a sharp kiy-ee or a repeated kyak-kyak-kyak.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Sweden, France, Germany, Belgium, Czechia, Türkiye, Ethiopia, Italy, Norway, Finland.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, with peak activity in August. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Saker Falcon?
- The saker falcon is a large hierofalcon, larger than the lanner falcon and almost as large as gyrfalcon at 45–57 cm (18–22 in) length with a wingspan of 97–126 cm (38–50 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Saker Falcon?
- The Saker Falcon is a large sized bird weighing about 961 g.
- Where can you see a Saker Falcon?
- The Saker Falcon occurs in 23 countries, including Ukraine, Mongolia, Russia, Austria and Kazakhstan.
- What birds look similar to a Saker Falcon?
- The Saker Falcon is most easily confused with the Mauritius Kestrel, the Banded Kestrel and the Seychelles Kestrel.
- Is the Saker Falcon endangered?
- The Saker Falcon is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Saker Falcon for real
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