black sea red data book - Department of Biology

irds occur throughout the area: on the coast, in the inland water bodies, on the
steppe, in villages and towns and their surroundings.
Biology. The subspecies F. p. calidus and F. p. peregrinus migrate and spend winter
in the region. The South-European subspecies (F. p. brokei) breeds, migrates and
partly overwinters. Breeding sites include niches and hardly accessible rocks.
Breeding starts rather early: display flights and copulation take place from late
February till mid March (22.05 -16.03). Earliest clutches in the third ten days of
March. Incubation takes 30-33 days. Fledglings appear in the last ten days of April.
Brood size is 2-4 eggs. Part of the population leaves for the winter grounds. Pairs
and single birds move to the foothill areas and big towns where they spend winter.
The diet consists basically of small and middle sized birds like larks, starlings,
waders, doves and pigeons, crows, small ducks. Falco peregrinus preys exclusively
in the air and catches its prey in flight.
Population trends. In the last decade a slight increase in numbers has been recorded.
Threats. Human disturbance, hunting of migratory birds, the illegal bird-trade and
extraction of chicks, various sicknesses of chicks (aspergillose, candidamicose).
Conservation measures taken. Falco peregrinus is protected in the Karadag and
Crimean natural reservoirs.
Conservation measures proposed. A special program for the protection of each
breeding pair is necessary.
References
Ardamatzkaia, T. B. & A. G. Rudenko, 1996. Birds. Invertebrates of the
'Chernomorski' State Biosphere reserve /annotated lists of the species. Vestnik Zool.
3:19-32. (in Russian).
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