Altai Falcon

Falco (cherrug) altaicus (Menzbier, 1892)

2006-01-04 Glubokovski region, East Kazakhstan oblast	© Askar Isabekov

Description

It’s a large and very interesting falcon which combines features of the northern Gyrfalcon and Saker. For this reason the different researchers at different times referred Altai Falcon to full species, then to the subspecies of Saker or Gyrfalcon, then to the color morph of Saker, then to natural hybrid of the northern Gyrfalcon with Saker. Plumage color and pattern, and the features of flight and life of the Altai Falcon largely fit to the northern Gyrfalcon, on which these birds differ by less weight and slimmer structure of the feet and beak. The typical Altai Falcons are dark-brown with a bluish tinge on the mantle and upper tail coverts. In the early twentieth century this color morph was predominant, whereas at present time most of the population of birds are gray and bluish-gray. From Saker the Altai Falcon is distinguished by the general dark or gray color, the dark head and the striated pattern on the body-flanks and ‘trousers’. Extremely rare in the population of the Altai Falcons found the specimens of white morph similar to white morph Gyrfalcons. Altai Falcon are capable of forming the pairs with Saker and give the ready to reproduce offspring.

Distribution

Breeds in highlands of Altai, Tarbagatay and probably Tien Shan. Migration areas and wintering places are not explored.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.