Saker Falcon

Ecology, Distribution, and Behavior

             They are also extremely aggressive. Falconers prize Sakers because of their stubborn pursuit of prey once they are committed. Very patient, they are known to sit for hours until prey is decided upon. Saker falcons hunt close to the ground in open terrain such as desert edge, semi-desert, steppes, open grassland, and the edges of forests from Eastern Europe to central Asia. (See range map). Sakers feed on small mammals such as ground squirrels, hamsters, jerboas, gerbils, hares, pikas, voles, rats, stoats, weasels, and Siberian chipmunks. In some areas, near water, it has been seen to prey on other birds. Saker falcons can dive for their prey at speeds up to 200 mph!

             Saker falcons have never been seen to build nests of their own. Rather, they either take over abandoned nests of other species or drive the builders away. They generally take nests on the ground, on cliffs, on rocks, or in birch trees, as well as on poles, pylons and in abandoned buildings. Herders tend to destroy Saker falcon nests on wooden utility poles, as these birds have been known to prey on animals much larger than themselves, including sheep and goats. In Bulgaria, they have been seen to be shifting to higher nesting sites in the mountains than those previously occupied. Nesting pairs prefer to leave a distance of 4-7 km between nests, as they are rather antisocial animals.