UBPRC – Ukrainian Birds of Prey Research Centre

Current status of the Peregrine Falcon population in Ukraine

The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is included in the Red Data Book of Ukraine (1994) as a vulnerable species, and has the status of ‘Least Concern’ in the Red List of IUCN/Birdlife (2004). In the new edition of the Red Data Book (in print) it is referred as ‘rare’.

The second half of the 20^th century was characterized with a catastrophic decrease of species numbers in all parts of the range especially in the Mediterranean area. As a result in 1980s the Peregrine population in Ukraine reached its minimum equaling to about 15-20 pairs. However already since 1980s the population showed a restoration trend in the Crimea. In the end of the 20^th century and in the beginning of the 21^st century the increase rate of numbers was rather high (as for such a rare species). This process attracted attention of ornithologists from Ukraine and recently three groups of specialists have published 3 papers, which we present below to download. All of them mutually complete each other and allow to receive quite a full image of the current status of the Peregrine Falcon in Ukraine. The numbers of breeding birds in the Crimea were estimated by V.N. Kucherenko and S.Yu.Kostin (2003) as 50-55 pairs, M.M.Beskaravainy and A.N.Tsvelykh (2009) – about 70 pairs, V.V.Vetrov, S.P.Prokopenko and Yu.V.Milobog (2009) about 105–110 pairs and additive 10-15 pairs in the Carpathians.

Thus, the Peregrine Falcon still remains a rare bird in Ukraine requiring all the protection. Today the Carpathian population of the peregrine is the least known. Any find of a nest is of undoubted interest. Also there are poor data on breeding of the Peregrine Falcon in cities all over Ukraine; such cases of breeding are informed from time to time but they are not proved. And, at last, since 1960s any case of the Peregrine Falcon’s nesting on a tree has not been known.