Abstract:

The population of Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) in Bulgaria suffered dramatic decline during the 20th century due to habitat destruction, nest robbery, illegal killing, poisoning, electrocution and other threats. The last well documented successful breeding of the species dates back to 1997. In 2011 a reintroduction program with captive-bred Saker Falcons was launched in Bulgaria to recover the species. Here, we present recent breeding records of Saker Falcons in three breeding territories in south Bulgaria. For the period 2017–2023, we recorded 7 breeding attempts in which 15 nestlings were successfully raised.