Breeding Population Estimates

The table below gives an estimate for the number of breeding pairs of Sakers in each of the range countries.

Country	Population Estimate	Date of Estimate	Data Quality*	15 Year Trend
Austria	15-25	2004	B	Slight increase
Bulgaria	0-6	2007	C	Declining/Extinct
Croatia	2-5	2007	D	Unknown
Czech Republic	15-16	2008	B	Stable
Georgia	3-5	2003	D	Unknown
Hungary	180-200	2008	B	Increasing
Moldova	8-15	2008	D	Unknown
Poland	0-2	1998	D	Unknown
Romania	2-12	2007	C	Stable
Serbia	50-60	2008	C	Increasing
Slovakia	31-32	2007	C	Increasing
Turkey	5-70	2007	D	Unknown
Ukraine	270-345	2005	C	Increasing
Iran	10-100	NA	E	Unknown
Iraq	0-50	NA	E	Unknown
Kyrgyzstan	100-120	2001	D	Declining
Uzbekistan	100-150	2000	D	Declining
Russian Federation	1500-3000	2007	C	Declining
Turkmenistan	100-150	NA	E	Unknown
Tajikistan	10-100	NA	E	Unknown
Afghanistan	10-100	NA	E	Unknown
Pakistan	0-50	NA	E	Unknown
Kazakhstan	2000-3000	2008	C/D	Stable/Declining
Mongolia	2000-5000	2008	D	Stable
China	3000-5000	2008	D	Unknown
Total	9411-17613	NA	B-E	Declining

Table 1. Saker Falcon population estimates by country.

*Data quality scores for the population estimates are based on the following criteria:
A = excellent, quantitative data available with precision estimates based on comprehensive survey work;
B = good, quantitative data available, based on extensive field work;
C = medium, quantitative data available, based on limited field work;
D = poor; no quantitative data available and limited field surveys;
E = No data, guess.

The above table illustrates that in most countries where the Saker Falcon breeds there are no good, quantitative population estimates. This is particularly true for countries across Central Asia, where the vast majority of the world’s Saker Falcons breed.

A fully referenced version of the article on Saker Falcon breeding population estimates in Asia from Falco #33 (Spring 2009) can be found here.

Breeding Population Estimates

The Saker Falcon