Saker Falcon

Falco cherrug

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About the Saker Falcon

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. In Europe, for example, a part of the juveniles are migrating, while adults are mostly resident. The European and West Asian migratory sakers spend the winter in the Sahel region. On migration, they cross the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, and Pakistan, where they are exposed to illegal trapping. The migratory birds to the east from Altai Mountains spend the winter in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The saker falcon is the second fastest bird in level flight after the white-throated needletail swift (unconfirmed), capable of reaching 150 km/h (93 mph).

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name: Falco cherrug
Family: Falcons and Caracaras
Order: Falconiformes

Similar species

Other members of the falcons and caracaras family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

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