Saker Falcon in Croatia

The Saker falcon is very popular with falcon trainers, particularly in Arab countries where they also represent a status symbol. In 1990, the population of the Saker falcon was assessed at about 8,500–12,000 pairs. In 2003, the number of pairs dropped to only 3,600–4,400. A decline of 90% has been recorded in some countries. Such a drop in the number of pairs is certainly due to the illegal trade of these birds, which includes about 5,000 birds each year. Due to difficulties in controls and implementation of the law, even in Croatia, individuals are killed or captured by irresponsible people. If a captured bird are found, it is virtually impossible to return it to the wild, while the responsible persons often go unpunished. In order to protect the Saker falcon, the continued monitoring of its population in the field, from the start of nesting to the independence of the young falcons and their departure from the territory it is of crucial importance.

Nests should be monitored to protect the falcons from theft and being killed. Frequent observations allow us to learn a great deal about these birds. Thanks to regular visits to the nest this year, a young female was found under the nest on time, and saved from certain death. The young female weighed only 625 g, and expert care for the bird was provided in the competent institution. The bird was rehydrated and succeeded in recovering under expert watch. She achieved a mass of 1200 g and was able to fly well. She did not form a bond of trust with the humans, and as such, has a good chance of successfully returning to the wild. The remaining two birds in the nest were raised by the parents, and they successfully left the nesting territory.

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Stepski sokoli su vrlo popularni kod sokolara pogotovo u arapskim zemljama gdje predstavljaju ujedno i statusni simbol. 1990. procijenjeno je da populacija stepskog sokola ima od 8500-12000 parova. 2003. broj parova pada na svega 3600-4400. U nekim zemljama zabilježen je pad i do 90%. Ovako velikom padu broja parova sigurno je najviše doprinijela ilegalna trgovina ovim pticama, koja iznosi oko 5000 jedinki godišnje. Zbog teške kontrole i provedbe zakona i kod nas se dešava da stepski sokoli budu ubijeni ili zarobljeni od neodgovornih pojedinaca. Ako se i pronađu zarobljene ptice je poslije gotovo nemoguće vratiti u prirodu, a neodgovorni pojedinci se najčešće izvuku nekažnjeno. Za zaštitu stepskog sokola od iznimne je važnosti kontinuirano praćenje stanja na terenu od početka gniježđenja do osamostaljenja mladih sokola i napuštanja gnijezdećeg teritorija.

Gnijezda je bitno nadzirati radi bolje zaštite sokola od krađa i ubijanja, a čestim promatranjem možemo dosta naučiti o njima. Zahvaljujući redovnom obilaženju gnijezda ove godine je na vrijeme pronađena jedna mlada ženka ispod njega i spašena od sigurnog uginuća. Mlada ženka stepskog sokola težila je svega 625g, te je bila neophodna stručna skrb o ptici koja joj je pružena u nadležnoj ustanovi. Ptica je rehidrirana i uspješno se oporavlja uz stručni nadzor, dostigla je težinu od 1200g i dobro leti, nije stvorila odnos povjerenja prema čovjeku i ima velike šanse za uspješno vračanje u prirodu. Ostale dvije ptice ovog para odgojili su roditelji i one su uspješno napustile teritorij gniježđenja.

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In Croatia, the Saker falcon begins nesting in March, and the young leave the territory at the end of June. The female most often lays 3 to 5 eggs, with both parents incubating the eggs for 28–30 days. The young falcons leave the nest at 40–45 days of age. After another 30–45 days, they become independent and leave the territory.

In 2009, two pairs of Saker falcons were found nesting on power transmission line poles within the borders of Croatia. A total of five young falcons hatched, and the nesting activities and growth of the young falcons was observed from the ground, and it was not possible to monitor the state in the nest. In an attempt to obtain better results, we requested the assistance of Croatian Electric (HEP), which offered full technical assistance, allowing us to approach the nest for the first time, to ring the young birds, collect material for DNA analyses and collect data on prey in the nest. The materials collected are of exceptional importance for learning more about this species.

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