The Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) is a bird of prey in the falcon family. The large falcon belongs to a nomadic species and only in exceptional cases leads a sedentary lifestyle, occupying abandoned nests.
Saker Falcon reaches 60 centimeters in length, its weight can exceed 1200 grams, the size of the wings in a span of more than 1 meter. Most often, the bird is brown, in exceptional cases there are individuals with a reddish tint.
The eyes of a large falcon are dark in color. The beak and claws are the main decoration of the predator. They have a bluish black tint. Saker falcon lives on rocks or trees, does not know how to build nests on its own, therefore it prefers to occupy abandoned nests or enters into battle and drives the owners out of their dwellings. Moreover, he can drive out of his nest not only a small bird, but also a large burial eagle, which is not inferior to the Saker falcon in size and strength.
Bird watchers have noticed that the burial eagle is mortally afraid of the Saker Falcon and tries to remain unnoticed or quickly retreats as soon as a large falcon begins to approach.
The Saker Falcon protects its home from predators. If there are chicks in the nest, and a fox is sneaking nearby, the falcon fearlessly attacks a large animal, even if it is several times larger than itself.
Saker falcon chicks appear in late spring or early summer. While incubating the eggs, the male Saker Falcon feeds the female. The couple feeds the hatched chicks together.
After a month and a half, the chicks begin to fly and hunt on their own. After two or three years, they already create their own families, which do not collapse until the end of their days.
Saker Falcons feed on small game, ground squirrels, lizards, but they can also hunt larger animals. Hares and gophers are easily caught.
The large falcon is widespread in the south of Siberia, in Cisbaikalia and Transbaikalia, in the Selenginskaya steppe, throughout Kazakhstan.
At the beginning of October, flocks of birds begin to wander. They form clusters in the Selenginskaya steppe along the border of Russia and Mongolia.
The low number of Saker Falcons made bird watchers seriously consider breeding a large falcon. In 1990, a nursery was created in the Galichya Gora nature reserve.