Red-footed Falcon

This falcon is a colonial breeder, reusing the old nests of corvids, such as rooks. It lays two to four eggs. Its maximum lifespan is 13.25 years in the wild and 18 years in captivity.

The main areas of European distribution are in southern Russia and Ukraine . The species occurs in large numbers in Hungary, Romania and Serbia . Smaller populations exist in Italy, Bulgaria and Moldova, in Austria , Slovakia and in Belarus . The red-footed falcon also breeds irregularly in the Czech Republic and in the Baltic States , occasionally also in Germany . In Asia, the breeding occurrences run in a relatively narrow band somewhat south of the taiga eastwards to the upper Lena , where they touch the range of the sister species Falco amurensis east of the Baikal . The northern border lies between the 63 ° and 58 ° north latitude, the south border around 45 ° north latitude. It runs along the north slope of the Altai and then westward follows the transition of open pine forests into the treeless steppe areas of Central Asia. Further to the west, the breeding areas on the lower reaches of the Volga and on the north coast of the Caspian Sea reach Europe. The southernmost occurrences are in the steppe areas north of the Caucasus and in South Georgia . Some isolated breeding areas are located in northern Turkey. The red-footed falcon winters in southern and eastern Africa.

The global population of red-footed falcon is estimated to be between 300,000-800,000 individuals, with 26,000 to 39,000 pairs in Europe. Most of the population breeds in the steppe grasslands of Russia and central Asia, although a significant amount also breeds in the Ukraine, Romania and Hungary. In 2005, the population in Hungary was estimated to be between 700 and 800, showing a steady decline. Red-footed falcons can be considered as a classic umbrella species because they affect other species living in the community. They play a popular role in the Natura 2000 designation process. Therefore, locating their breeding sites or creating breeding sites by providing artificial colonies has additional conservation and socio-economic benefits for both wildlife and the local human population.