The Saker Falcon, (Falco cherrug), is a large bird of prey. This species breeds from central Europe eastwards across Asia to Manchuria. It is mainly migratory except in the southernmost parts of its range, wintering in Ethiopia, the Arabian peninsula, northern India and western China. Photograph of an adult Saker Falcon, belonging to Gary Worley, National School of Falconry, Cumbria, England. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Many - see section below. ... Families Accipitridae Pandionidae Falconidae Sagittariidae Cathartidae The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that include the diurnal birds of prey. ... Genera Daptrius Phalcoboenus Polyborus Milvago Herpetotheres Micrastur Spiziapteryx Polihierax Microhierax Falco The family Falconidae includes about 60 species of diurnal birds of prey, notably the falcons and caracaras. ... Species About 37; see text. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is a standard convention used for naming species. ... John Edward Gray (February 12, 1800 - March 7, 1875) was a British zoologist. ... Orders Accipitriformes     Cathartidae     Pandionidae     Accipitridae     Sagittariidae Falconiformes     Falconidae A bird of prey or raptor is a bird that hunts its food, especially one that preys on mammals or other birds. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... Extent according to Definition 1 (dark red), Definition 3 (dark red + medium red) and Definition 4 (dark red + medium red + light red) Northeast China (Simplified Chinese: 东北; Traditional Chinese: 東北; pinyin: ; literally east-north) and Manchuria (Manchu: Manju, Simplified Chinese: 满洲; Traditional Chinese: 滿洲; pinyin: ) are names of a region... Long-distance land bird migration Many species of land birds migrate very long distances, the most common pattern being for birds to breed in the temperate or arctic northern hemisphere and winter in warmer regions, often in the tropics or the southern hemisphere. ... Arabia redirects here. ...

It is a bird of open grassland with some trees. It lays 3-6 eggs on the ground or in an old stick nest in a tree. Both sexes incubate for about 28 days. Orders Many - see section below. ...

Saker Falcon is a very large falcon, almost as large as Gyr Falcon at 47-55cm length with a wingspan of 105-129cm. Its broad blunt wings give it a silhouette similar to Gyr, but its plumage is more similar to Lanner Falcon. It usually hunts by horizontal pursuit, rather than the Peregrine's stoop from a height, and takes mainly rodents with some birds. Species About 37; see text. ... Binomial name Falco rusticolus Linnaeus,, 1758 The Gyr Falcon (Falco rusticolus), also spelled Gyrfalcon, is a large bird of prey. ... Binomial name Falco biarmicus Temminck, 1825 The Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus) is a large bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. ... Binomial name Falco peregrinus Tunstall, 1771 The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a medium-sized falcon about the size of a large crow: 38-53 cm (15 to 21 inches) long. ... Families Many, see text The order Rodentia is the most numerous of all the branches on the mammal family tree. ... Orders Many - see section below. ...

Saker Falcons have brown upperparts and contrasting grey flight feathers. The head and underparts are paler brown, with streaking from the breast down. Sexes are similar, as are young birds, although the latter tend to be a duller brown. The call is a sharp kiy-ee

Adults can be distinguished from the similar Lanner Falcon since that species is blue-grey above with a whitish belly. However, juveniles of the two species can be very similar although the Lanner never shows the all-dark thighs of the larger species.

A further complication is that some Asian birds have grey, barred upperparts; these must be separated from Lanner on size, structure, and a weaker moustachial stripe.

In 2004 BirdLife International categorised this bird as endangered, due to a rapid population decline, particularly on the central Asian breeding grounds. The current population was estimated to be between 7,200 and 8,800.

External link

• BirdLife International Species Factsheet (http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/search/species_search.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3619&m=0)

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

Gallery