Saker Falcon

Falco cherrug Gray, JE, 1834

≈58 cmLength110 cmWingspan961 gWeight

It is a large falcon that often pursues prey in level flight, rather than stooping from a height like Peregrine Falcon.

Endangered

How to identify

Field marks

Body length 45–57 cm
Wingspan 97–126 cm
Plumage varies considerably between individuals

Male, female and young

Sexes similar, but the female is larger; juveniles are also similar, but darker and more heavily streaked.

Voice

A sharp “kiy-ee”, or a continuously repeated “kyak-kyak-kyak”.

Where and when it's recorded

No records at the public birding hotspots we track. It may be rare, remote, or its locations protected.

About

The saker falcon (Falco cherrug) 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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Saker Falcon?

The Saker Falcon is about ≈58 cm long, with a wingspan of 110 cm and weighs around 961 g.

Where does the Saker Falcon live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: plains and mountains of central Europe to Central Asia, southern Siberia, northern China, Himalayas and Tibet.

Is the Saker Falcon endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Saker Falcon as Endangered.

What does the Saker Falcon eat?

Main food: Vertebrate prey.

What family is the Saker Falcon in?

It belongs to the family Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae), order Falconiformes.

At a glance

Length: ≈58 cm
Wingspan: 110 cm
Weight: 961 g
Habitat: Grassland
Diet: Vertebrate prey
Lifestyle: Varied
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Endangered

More measurements

Wing: 378 mm
Tail: 204 mm
Bill: 33 mm
Tarsus: 53 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: plains and mountains of central Europe to Central Asia, southern Siberia, northern China, Himalayas and Tibet

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 2

Falco cherrug hendersoni Pamir Mts. (e Tajikistan) e to the Tibetan Plateau
Falco cherrug milvipes mountains of c Tien Shan and Altai Mountains e through Mongolia and Inner Mongolia (ne China), s from Transbaikalia through Ladakh (nw India) to central China | non-breeding: Iran e to Nepal, n India, and s, c China (including Tibet)