Baloban / Itelgi / Saker Falcon
Saker Falcon
Status: IV category, Endangered, EN, A2bcd+3bcd. The population of the species in Kyrgyzstan has sharply decreased over the last 5 years, and it is now at risk of extinction. One of 10 species of the genus in the fauna of Kyrgyzstan. The nominative subspecies F.c. cherrug J.E. Gray, 1834 migrates and winters here. The other subspecies are resident: F.c. milvipes Jerdon, 1871, F.c. coatsi Dementiev, 1945, F.c. hendersoni Hume, 1871 [35, 36].
Distribution in general and in the country. Forest-steppe, steppe, and desert zones of Eurasia from the Lower Danube in the west to the Greater Khingan in the east. Northern Africa [37]. In Kyrgyzstan, it nests exclusively in the mountainous part of the country, at altitudes of at least 1300-1500 m. It can be found up to 3000 meters. During hunting, it appears in lower-lying areas [2, 38].
Habitat. Middle and upper mountain belts, from 1300 to 3000 m above sea level. Low desert mountains and dry foothills of major ranges, river canyons, thickets, tugai, floodplain forests, mixed spruce forests, cliffs, and escarpments.
Population. The total population is not established. It is a rare species, and its numbers are declining everywhere.
Life style (life cycles). A sedentary migratory bird, monogamous with pronounced nesting conservatism. Nesting begins in late March to early April, the female lays 3-5 eggs, and the chicks hatch after 33-35 days [2,3].
Limiting factors. Habitat degradation due to human economic activities. Nest destruction by removing chicks for sale. Trapping. Death on power line poles.
Breeding (captive breeding). Successfully bred in the Kyrgyz state hunting enterprise of the Ministry of Agriculture of the USSR in 1979 [2].
Existing conservation measures. Listed in the Red Data Book of the USSR (1984) [39]. Included in Appendix 2 of the "Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora" [3]. Protected in the reserves of the republic.
Recommended conservation measures. Identify nesting sites and enhance their protection. Prohibit the trapping of falcons and create a network of protected areas in key nesting locations. Determine the overall population and status in Kyrgyzstan. Establish a breeding facility for captive breeding.
Itelgi
Saker Falcon
Falco cherrug J.E. Gray, 1834, ssp. cherrug J.E. Gray, 1834, milvipes Jerdon, 1871, coatsi Dementiev, 1945,
hendersoni Hume, 1871
Status: IV category, Endangered, EN, A2bcd+3bcd. There are 4 subspecies occurring in Kyrgyzstan. The nominative subspecies is migratory and winters here, while the other subspecies are resident. The numbers have drastically reduced in recent years. One of the 10 species of the Falco genus that occur in Kyrgyzstan. Breeds in Kyrgyzstan only in mountains from 1,300 to 3,000 m (4,200-9,800 feet) above sea level. May hunt in lowlands. The exact number is unknown. Numbers are continuously declining. A resident and monogamous bird, it lays 3-5 eggs at the end of March to the beginning of April, with an incubation period of 33-35 days. Limiting factors include habitat degradation, requisition of juveniles from nests for smuggling purposes. Successfully bred in the Kyrgyz state hunting unit in 1979. Included in the Red Book of the USSR in 1984. It is recommended to create protected areas around identified nests, gather baseline data, and breed Saker Falcons in captivity.
