21/08/2018
A Saker
Falcon nest has been found in Bulgaria for the first time in a decade,
with two chicks having hatched and successfully fledged. The discovery was made
by a team of conservationists from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of
Birds (BSPB) and BirdLife Bulgaria. The finding has fuelled hoped that this
globally Endangered raptor is on course to re-establish a breeding population
in the eastern European country, following a recent reintroduction scheme.
During
the past few years, Green Balkans and the Institute of Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Research have been leading the Saker Falcon reintroduction project in
Bulgaria. In 2015, a number of birds were bred in captivity and released,
following a programme to help them adapt to living in the wild. The newly
discovered breeding pair was found to have originated from that scheme, with
the male identified as ‘5E’ and the female as ‘5P’.
Saker
Falcons were formerly abundant across Bulgaria, but they suffered a steep
decline during the middle of the 20th century, with only one or two pairs
estimated to be breeding by 2000. This decline mirrors a global drop in numbers
and stems from a number of causes, including habitat destruction, intensive
farming practices (and consequent food scarcity) and a nationwide persecution of
birds of prey. However, the recent news is anticipated to be the first step
towards re-establishing a sustainable breeding population across Bulgaria.
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