Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicus Temminck, 1825
Falco feldeggi Schl.: Reiser, 1894: 112; Klain1909: 73; Falco biarmicus graecus, Kleinschmidt: Patev, 1950: 176; Falco biarmicus feldeggi Schlegel: Arabadzhiev, 1962: 40; Falco biarmicus feldeggii Schleger: Simeonov, 1985: 89.
Order Falconiformes
Family Falconidae
Conservation status: in Bulgaria: Critically endangered CR=B(1a, 2a)+D, BDA-III; International: CITES-II, BeC-II, BoC-II, ECS-Spec 3, BD.
General distribution. Species of an Ethiopian type of distribution. It breeds in Africa (with the exception of the forest regions and Southern Somalia), the near East, Asia Minor and Southern Europe.
Distribution and abundance in Bulgaria. Resident. There are data about one habitat [1, 2], but the existence of 10 breeding pairs is supposed [3]. The assumption that the species is not found in Bulgaria [2] is based on information available until then [1, 4]. The problem is complicated also by the hybridization of the species with the Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) [5]. The opportunity to check 1 individual from Stara Zagora was missed [6]. The numbers are unknown. There are 23 reports about the species, 9 of which after 1995 [7]. The latest ones are from Southwestern Bulgaria, to the south of the Dragoman – Svilengrad line, including reports from the Eastern Rhodopes [8] and the Rila mountain (the Rila Monastery Natural Park [9, 10, 11]. Since 1995, 2 inhabited nests have been known, and in 2 other regions there have been observations during the breeding period.
Habitats. Rocky areas in the vicinity of forests, near river valleys as well, but rarely. It also inhabits dry areas, bushy terrains of the Mediterranean type, high mountains (also at altitudes higher than 2 000 m).
Biology. It mainly feeds on small and moderately large birds. It hunts in flight near the ground. At the beginning of March it lays 3 (2-5) eggs. The parents incubate for 32-35 days and feed the young for 35-47 days. They leave the nest at the end of May. In the winter some birds descend to the valleys. Food: mainly birds.
Similar species. The Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug).
Negative factors. Destruction and change of the habitats; disturbance; illegal trade and shooting; hybridization with the Saker Falcon.
Conservation measures taken. The numbers and the distribution have been clarified. One of the major places of finding (in the Eastern Rhodopes) is under yearly monitoring and has been proposed for a national park; all key habitats are included in the network of Important Bird Areas and in the Natura 2000 network; the places of the observations in the Rila mountain fall within the national park of the same name.
Conservation measures needed. Development of a National Plan for the conservation of the species; increase of the control against the threats for the species, increase of the state of information and the commitment for its preservation and its habitats among state control bodies in the areas where the species is found; clarification of the breeding status and the peculiarities of breeding, studying the habitats and the threats; working out and implementing a monitoring system; specifying new protected territories; urgent declaration of the Eastern Rhodopes a natural park; placing all the other locations that are critical for the species under a strict protection regime; strict guarding of the nests.
References. 1. Simeonov, 1985; 2. Simeonov et al., 1990; 3. Nankinov et al., 1991; 4. Baumgart, Dontschev, 1976; 5. Boev, Dimitrov, 1995; 6. Nankinov, Ganev, 1990; 7. Ornithological Database, BSPB; 8. Hristov, 2002; 9. The Rila Monastery Natural Park, 2003; 10. Nankinov, 1981; 11. Iankov, in press.
Authors: Zlatozar Boev, Petar Iankov
