Falco naumanni

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	FALCONIFORMES	FALCONIDAE

Scientific Name:

Falco naumanni

Species Authority:

Fleischer, 1818

Common Name/s:

English	–	Lesser Kestrel
French	–	Faucon crécerellette
Spanish	–	Cernícalo Primilla

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2011

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Symes, A., Taylor, J., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s:

Kamp, J., Biber, J., van Zyl, A., Baccetti, N., Garrido, J.

Justification:
This species underwent rapid declines in western Europe, equivalent to c.46% in each decade since 1950, on its wintering grounds in South Africa, equivalent to c.25% in each decade since 1971, and possibly in parts of its Asian range; however, recent evidence indicates a stable or slightly positive population trend overall during the last three generations. Consequently it has been downlisted from Vulnerable and now qualifies as Least Concern because it no longer approaches any of the thresholds for Vulnerable under the IUCN criteria.

History:

2008	–	Vulnerable
2004	–	Vulnerable
2000	–	Vulnerable
1996	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Falco naumanni breeds in Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar (to UK), France, Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina, FYRO Macedonia, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Israel, Palestinian Authority Territories, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia. Birds winter in southern Spain, southern Turkey, Malta and across much of Africa, particularly South Africa. The European population is estimated at 25,000-42,000 pairs, with half of these in Spain. Several thousand pairs breed outside this range, principally in central Asia. Western Palearctic populations have undergone serious declines, although a few have begun to increase again. The western European population has declined by c.95% since 1950, and the species has disappeared from the Ural region of Russia and from northern Kazakhstan, as well as from the western and central parts of the Balkan Peninsula^2,8. However, some populations in south-western and central Europe are stable or increasing¹⁰ and eastern breeding populations are also reported to be stable⁹. Italy has seen a marked population increase and range expansion since 2000¹², and the population in Andalucía, Spain, has increased from c.2,100 pairs in 1988 to c.4,800 in 2009¹³. In Kazakhstan, the species appears to be stable or increasing slightly, perhaps in association with the abandonment of villages and livestock stations in the 1990s¹¹. Co-ordinated counts of the South African wintering population recorded 117,000 birds in 2005/2006^6,7 and 98,000 birds in 2006/2007⁷, but it is not clear whether this represents a genuine reduction in numbers or whether the missing birds were wintering elsewhere, most likely in East Africa⁷. An enormous roost discovered in January 2007 in Senegal contained over 28,600 individuals (most likely European/North African breeders).
Countries:	Native: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Benin; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cyprus; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; Ethiopia; France; Gambia; Georgia; Ghana; Gibraltar; Greece; Guinea; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kuwait; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malawi; Maldives; Mali; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Niger; Nigeria; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sudan; Swaziland; Syrian Arab Republic; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; Uzbekistan; Western Sahara; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe Vagrant: Belgium; Cameroon; Congo; Denmark; Gabon; Germany; Ireland; Japan; Liechtenstein; Seychelles; Singapore; Sri Lanka; Sweden; United Kingdom Present - origin uncertain: Bangladesh; Cambodia; Kyrgyzstan; Tajikistan
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	A total population of 140,000-200,000 individuals is estimated based on estimates of 17,000-21,000 pairs from Europe and North Africa wintering in West Africa (where a roost of over 28,600 birds was discovered in January 2007), and co-ordinated roost counts of 117,000 and 98,000 birds in South Africa in the 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 non-breeding seasons respectively (van Zyl 2007, A. van Zyl in litt. 2007).
Population Trend:	Stable

Population:

A total population of 140,000-200,000 individuals is estimated based on estimates of 17,000-21,000 pairs from Europe and North Africa wintering in West Africa (where a roost of over 28,600 birds was discovered in January 2007), and co-ordinated roost counts of 117,000 and 98,000 birds in South Africa in the 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 non-breeding seasons respectively (van Zyl 2007, A. van Zyl in litt. 2007).

Population Trend:

Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is usually a colonial breeder, often in the vicinity of human settlements. It forages in steppe-like habitats, natural and managed grasslands, and non-intensive cultivation.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The main cause of its decline was habitat loss and degradation in its Western Palearctic breeding grounds, primarily a result of agricultural intensification, but also afforestation and urbanisation. In South Africa, key grasslands have been lost to agricultural intensification, afforestation and intensive pasture management⁴. The use of pesticides may cause direct mortality, but is probably more important in reducing prey populations. The neglect or restoration of old buildings has resulted in the loss of nest-sites^1,2. At La Crau in southern France, where such nest sites are rare, a population increase in the 1990s may be linked to the progressive selection of ground nests in stone piles, reducing inter-specific and intra-specific competition⁵.

Major Threat(s):

The main cause of its decline was habitat loss and degradation in its Western Palearctic breeding grounds, primarily a result of agricultural intensification, but also afforestation and urbanisation. In South Africa, key grasslands have been lost to agricultural intensification, afforestation and intensive pasture management⁴. The use of pesticides may cause direct mortality, but is probably more important in reducing prey populations. The neglect or restoration of old buildings has resulted in the loss of nest-sites^1,2. At La Crau in southern France, where such nest sites are rare, a population increase in the 1990s may be linked to the progressive selection of ground nests in stone piles, reducing inter-specific and intra-specific competition⁵.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway CITES Appendix II, CMS Appendix I and II. Research and management of the species, its sites and habitats have been carried out in France, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Israel, Jordan and South Africa. A European action plan has been published. Conservation Actions Proposed Encourage surveys and monitoring. Research limiting factors and habitat management. Promote national action plans. Promote appropriate agricultural policies, control of pesticides and zoned forestry. Construct artificial nests. Protect colonies. Encourage legal protection.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II, CMS Appendix I and II. Research and management of the species, its sites and habitats have been carried out in France, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Israel, Jordan and South Africa. A European action plan has been published.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Encourage surveys and monitoring. Research limiting factors and habitat management. Promote national action plans. Promote appropriate agricultural policies, control of pesticides and zoned forestry. Construct artificial nests. Protect colonies. Encourage legal protection.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2011. Falco naumanni. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 February 2012.
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