As the breeding season finishing around the Falcon Tower in 2012 we were thinking to give some statistics about this magnificent hide. The breeding success of Common Kestrels and Red-footed Falcons is remarkable for five consecutive years now. When we have built the tower (2008) we were just hoping that redfoots will use the artificial nest boxes placed close to the hide and it was a very pleasant surprise when the first arrival birds straight occupied a box by the tower in April 2008! In fact in 2009 we had one pair of redfoots actually breeding successfully on the tower itself which was the first ever record of the species breeding on artificial building (anywhere in the World – please let us know if you have heard any unpublished breeding record like this one)!

Juvenile Red-footed Falcons in the nest box (July 2012). Photo: János Oláh

Male Red-footed Falcon brings a Great Green Bush-Cricket (July 2012). Photo: János Oláh

Male handles the food to the female (July 2012). Photo: János Oláh

Breeding birds at the Sakertour´s Falcon Tower:

2012:

3 pairs of Common Kestrels successfully bred on the tower itself

3 pairs of Red-footed Falcons successfully bred around the tower (within 10m)

1 pair of Long-eared Owl successfully bred around the tower

plus 2 pairs of Starlings and 1 pair of Tree Sparrow

Already fledged juvenile (July 2012). Photo: János Oláh

2011:

2 pairs of Common Kestrels successfully bred on the tower itself

4 pairs of Red-footed Falcons successfully bred around the tower (within 10m)

1 pair of Roller successfully bred on the tower

plus 2 pairs of Starlings and 1 pair of Tree Sparrow

Female Red-footed Falcon (July 2012). Photo: János Oláh

2010:

2 pairs of Common Kestrels successfully bred on the tower itself

1 pair of Red-footed Falcon unsuccessfully bred on the tower itself

3 pairs of Red-footed falcons successfully bred around the tower (within 10m)

Female Red-footed Falcon in flight (July 2012). Photo: János Oláh

2009:

1 pairs of Common Kestrel successfully bred on the tower itself

1 pair of Red-footed Falcon successfully bred on the tower itself

2 pairs of Red-footed falcons successfully bred around the tower (within 10m)

Female Red-footed Falcon in orange (July 2012). Photo: János Oláh

2008:

1 pairs of Common Kestrel successfully bred on the tower itself

1 pair of Red-footed Falcon unsuccessfully bred on the tower itself

2 pairs of Red-footed falcons successfully bred around the tower (within 10m)

Lets hope we will have the same fantastic experience in the coming years as well. It is always delightful to see as many as 12 juvenile redfoots being raised right in front of our watchful eyes!

Come and visit our Falcon Tower which is truly a unique place as nowhere else in the World you can photograph Red-footed Falcons in such a setup!

Sakertour team