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Falco naumanni
– Vulnerable
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
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ANIMALIA
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Phylum:
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CHORDATA
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Class:
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AVES
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Order:
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FALCONIFORMES
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Family:
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FALCONIDAE
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Scientific Name:
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Falco naumanni
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Species Authority:
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Fleischer, 1818
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Common Name/s:
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LESSER KESTREL (Eng)
FAUCON CRÉCERELLETTE (Fre)
CERNÍCALO PRIMILLA (Spa)
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Assessment Information
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Red List Category & Criteria:
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VU A2bce+3bce ver 3.1 (2001)
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Year Assessed:
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2004
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Assessor/s:
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BirdLife International
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Evaluator/s:
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Capper, D., Callaghan, D., Peet, N. & Benstead, P. (BirdLife International Red List Authority)
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Justification:
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This species has undergone rapid declines in western Europe, equivalent to ca. 46% in each decade since 1950, on its wintering grounds in South Africa, equivalent to ca. 25% in each decade since 1971, and possibly in parts of its Asian range. If these declines are representative of populations in all regions, the total population is likely to have declined by more than 30% in 10 years, which qualifies the species as Vulnerable. It is predicted that similar declines will continue over the next 10 years.
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History:
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| 1988 | - | Threatened (Collar and Andrew 1988) |
| 1994 | - | Vulnerable (Collar, Crosby and Stattersfield 1994) |
| 2000 | - | Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2000) |
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Geographic Range
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Range Description:
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Falco naumanni breeds in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar (to UK), France, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, FYRO Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Palestinian Authority Territories, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Moldova, 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 and north African population is estimated at 17,000-21,000 pairs, 8,000 in Spain, with several thousand pairs breeding 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 Kazakhstan2. The South African wintering population probably does not exceed 50,000-60,000 birds, representing a 50% decline since 19712.
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Range Map:
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 (click for detailed map)
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Countries:
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Native:
Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Benin; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Croatia; Cyprus; Côte d'Ivoire; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; Ethiopia; France; Gabon; Gambia; Georgia; 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; Mali; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova, Republic of; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Niger; Nigeria; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sudan; Syrian Arab Republic; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; Uzbekistan; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Vagrant:
Belgium; Cameroon; Denmark; Germany; Ghana; Ireland; Japan; Liechtenstein; Maldives; Seychelles; Sri Lanka; Swaziland; Sweden; United Kingdom
Regionally extinct:
Czech Republic; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Slovakia
Uncertain presence and origin:
Bangladesh; Kyrgyzstan; Slovenia; Tajikistan
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Population
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Population Trend:
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Habitat and Ecology
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Habitat and Ecology:
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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.
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System:
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Terrestrial
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Threats
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Threats:
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The main cause of its decline has been 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 abandonment or restoration of old buildings has resulted in the loss of nest-sites1,2. 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.
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Conservation Actions
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Conservation Actions:
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Conservation measures underway:
CITES Appendix II, CMS Appendix I and II. Research and management of the species, its sites and habitats has 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 measures 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.
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