The Saker Falcon <i>(Falco cherrug)</i> in Southern Romania: population, trend and habitat requirements in the breeding season

Abstract We summarise the monitoring efforts for the Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) in Southern Romania between 2016 and 2023, presenting population size and short-term population trend. Using the degree of occupancy of 31 artificial and 5 natural nests, we analyse the species’ preferences when choosing nesting sites in relation to the presence of grasslands, agricultural lands, settlements and woodlands around the nest. Considering the large-scale wind farm developments of the past 15 years in the Saker’s Dobrudjan range, we also analyse the effect of wind farms on nest site selection. We estimate the size of the Saker population in Southern Romania to 7–9 pairs. The core of this population is in Dobrudja, with occasional breeding attempts in the rest of Southern Romania. While the species has occupied nests with relatively large areas of grassland in their 10 km radius, the proximity of grasslands around the nest is not a key factor in nest site selection. The Sakers avoided occupying nests with turbines closer than 2 km to them and the average number of turbines was significantly lower to up to 10 km around the nest in the occupied territories.