[order] FALCONIFORMES | [family] Falconidae | [latin] Falco eleonorae | [authority] Gene, 1839 | [UK] Eleonoras Falcon | [FR] Faucon d’Eleonore | [DE] Eleonorenfalke | [ES] Halcon de Eleonora | [NL] Eleonora’s Valk
Subspecies
| Genus | Species | subspecies | Region | Range |
| Falco | eleonorae | EU | s Europe, also n AF |
Genus
Members of the genus falco are mostly medium-sized falcons, but vary from the large peregrine falcon to the small American kestrel. The wings are long and pointed and used almost continuously during flight. The bill is short, powerful, and with a distinct ‘tooth’ on each side. Most falcons of this group have a black teardrop-shaped ‘mustache’ mark on each side of the head. Falcons are fastflying birds of open country and are famous for attaining high speeds as they dive from high altitudes to knock birds out of the air.
Physical charateristics
Polymorphic, with pale and dark morphs.
From below, dark underwing coverts contrast with paler flight-feathers, breast and belly cream colored to reddish brown streaked black. Dark morph all blackish.
Female slightly larger. juvenile also dimorphic, generally browner than corresponding adult plumages.
From below, dark underwing coverts contrast with paler flight-feathers, breast and belly cream colored to reddish brown streaked black. Dark morph all blackish.
Female slightly larger. juvenile also dimorphic, generally browner than corresponding adult plumages.
Listen to the sound of Eleonoras Falcon
[audio:https://planetofbirds.com/MASTER/FALCONIFORMES/Falconidae/sounds/Eleonoras Falcon.mp3]
Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto
| wingspan min.: | 90 | cm | wingspan max.: | 105 | cm |
| size min.: | 36 | cm | size max.: | 40 | cm |
| incubation min.: | 27 | days | incubation max.: | 29 | days |
| fledging min.: | 35 | days | fledging max.: | 29 | days |
| broods: | 1 | eggs min.: | 1 | ||
| eggs max.: | 4 |
Range
Eurasia : South Europe, also North AF. Islands and rocky coasts from Canary Is and NW Morocco E through Mediterranean to Lemnos, N Sporades, Cyclades, Dodecanese, Crete and Cyprus. Winters mainly in Madagascar, but also in E Africa and Mascarene Is.
Habitat
Eleonoras Falcons nest at the seaside, on steep cliffs as well as on flat quiet islets if there are
corners with shade for most of the day as can be found on islets of limestone or volcanic
geology. Some nests may be under e.g. Euphorbia bush or can even be completely exposed to
the sun, a critical situation in case of disturbances. In the pre-breeding months, some adults
roost in the breeding cliffs, others stay away for several days. The feeding areas in
spring/summer can be more than 20 km away from the breeding site. They must consist of
sufficient agriculture, forest, and wetland areas to support the population of a colony with
insects from April till August, offer access to fresh water and quiet communal roosting sites
(trees) for overnight stays in April to July. This feeding area may well extend over 1000 sq.
km for a single colony.
corners with shade for most of the day as can be found on islets of limestone or volcanic
geology. Some nests may be under e.g. Euphorbia bush or can even be completely exposed to
the sun, a critical situation in case of disturbances. In the pre-breeding months, some adults
roost in the breeding cliffs, others stay away for several days. The feeding areas in
spring/summer can be more than 20 km away from the breeding site. They must consist of
sufficient agriculture, forest, and wetland areas to support the population of a colony with
insects from April till August, offer access to fresh water and quiet communal roosting sites
(trees) for overnight stays in April to July. This feeding area may well extend over 1000 sq.
km for a single colony.
Reproduction
Eleonoras Falcons nest at the seaside, on steep cliffs as well as on flat quiet islets if there are
corners with shade for most of the day as can be found on islets of limestone or volcanic
geology. Some nests may be under e.g. Euphorbia bush or can even be completely exposed to
the sun, a critical situation in case of disturbances. In the pre-breeding months, some adults
roost in the breeding cliffs, others stay away for several days. The feeding areas in
spring/summer can be more than 20 km away from the breeding site. They must consist of
sufficient agriculture, forest, and wetland areas to support the population of a colony with
insects from April till August, offer access to fresh water and quiet communal roosting sites
(trees) for overnight stays in April to July. This feeding area may well extend over 1000 sq.
km for a single colony.
Eleonoras Falcons typically breed in colonies of 10-300 pairs. Nests are spaced 20-50 m apart, but cases of only 2 m nest distance are known. Lowest nests are at an altitude of about 5 m, i.e. just enough so that they are not washed away by high waves of the sea, while others are at the top of a cliff more than 100 m high. Nests can be distributed for several kilometres along a cliff or may be concentrated on uninhabited islands of 1-100 ha in size. Age of first breeding is at 2-3 years. Although this falcon returns to the Mediterranean in the second half of April, colonies are visited irregularly until intensive courtship in July begins. 1-3 (in the west up to 4) eggs per nest are laid during the second half of July and the chicks hatch one month later, a few as late as 10-15 September. They fledge 40 days later, so by mid October almost all young can fly. In the first days of November colonies are deserted. Egg losses under natural conditions can amount up to 43 % ( 25 % rat predation, 10 % infertility, 8 % due to sun irradiation in an undisturbed colony) and chick losses up to 10 %, respectively. A breeding success of 1.2 fledgling per started nest is needed for sustaining a colony.
corners with shade for most of the day as can be found on islets of limestone or volcanic
geology. Some nests may be under e.g. Euphorbia bush or can even be completely exposed to
the sun, a critical situation in case of disturbances. In the pre-breeding months, some adults
roost in the breeding cliffs, others stay away for several days. The feeding areas in
spring/summer can be more than 20 km away from the breeding site. They must consist of
sufficient agriculture, forest, and wetland areas to support the population of a colony with
insects from April till August, offer access to fresh water and quiet communal roosting sites
(trees) for overnight stays in April to July. This feeding area may well extend over 1000 sq.
km for a single colony.
Eleonoras Falcons typically breed in colonies of 10-300 pairs. Nests are spaced 20-50 m apart, but cases of only 2 m nest distance are known. Lowest nests are at an altitude of about 5 m, i.e. just enough so that they are not washed away by high waves of the sea, while others are at the top of a cliff more than 100 m high. Nests can be distributed for several kilometres along a cliff or may be concentrated on uninhabited islands of 1-100 ha in size. Age of first breeding is at 2-3 years. Although this falcon returns to the Mediterranean in the second half of April, colonies are visited irregularly until intensive courtship in July begins. 1-3 (in the west up to 4) eggs per nest are laid during the second half of July and the chicks hatch one month later, a few as late as 10-15 September. They fledge 40 days later, so by mid October almost all young can fly. In the first days of November colonies are deserted. Egg losses under natural conditions can amount up to 43 % ( 25 % rat predation, 10 % infertility, 8 % due to sun irradiation in an undisturbed colony) and chick losses up to 10 %, respectively. A breeding success of 1.2 fledgling per started nest is needed for sustaining a colony.
Feeding habits
This falcon catches prey only in the air and is not capable of pursuing small birds in the
vegetation. It feeds on large insects such as beetles, locust, dragonflies, butterflies, moths,
cicadas, and flying ants, occasionally bats or in April/May a few migrating birds along the
shore line. With the onset of the autumn migration from Europe to Africa, Eleonoras Falcon
changes its diet and catches migrating birds above the sea. Typical size of birds caught is 10-
30 g. The world population of this falcon takes about 0.1 % of the total migrant flow.
Eleonoras Falcon is a sensitive indicator of the general environment: on the one hand, colony
size and egg production are indicative of local farming and forest activities; on the other hand,
standardised plucking collection and analysis (Ristow et al. 1986) during the chick rearing
period reveals general environmental conditions in the European breeding areas or African
wintering quarters of the prey species.
vegetation. It feeds on large insects such as beetles, locust, dragonflies, butterflies, moths,
cicadas, and flying ants, occasionally bats or in April/May a few migrating birds along the
shore line. With the onset of the autumn migration from Europe to Africa, Eleonoras Falcon
changes its diet and catches migrating birds above the sea. Typical size of birds caught is 10-
30 g. The world population of this falcon takes about 0.1 % of the total migrant flow.
Eleonoras Falcon is a sensitive indicator of the general environment: on the one hand, colony
size and egg production are indicative of local farming and forest activities; on the other hand,
standardised plucking collection and analysis (Ristow et al. 1986) during the chick rearing
period reveals general environmental conditions in the European breeding areas or African
wintering quarters of the prey species.
Video Eleonoras Falcon
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOn6I2BV4nA
copyright: J. del Hoyo
Conservation
This species has a large global range; the total size has not yet been quantified, but the Extent of Occurrence in Africa alone is estimated to be 63,000 km2. The European population has been estimated to be 12,000 individuals (BirdLife International in prep.). Global population trends have not been quantified; there is evidence of a population decline (Ferguson-Lees et al. 2001), but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
This falcon is breeding in large colonies on rocky islets of the Mediterranean, along the Atlantic coast of Morocco and on the Canary islands. It is wintering in south-eastern Africa and Madagascar. The total population of the European Union is estimated at 3500-4000 breeding pairs, which represents 80-90% of the world population of this species. In some areas an increase has been reported, elsewhere a decrease.
The range of Eleonoras Falcon coincides almost completely with the Mediterranean basin. Breeding sites are distributed between the Canary Islands in the west and Cyprus in the east. The centre of the species range is the Aegean islands and Crete, which hold about 70 % of the world population. Whilst the wintering grounds are in Madagascar and for a fraction of the population probably in Tanzania, too, migration data are sketchy. Population trends on a historical scope are not available. From the Balearic Islands a yearly increase of 4 % has been recorded recently, in Italy there seems to be an increase of 10% in ten years, whereas a 15 % decline has been noted in Crete in the past decade. In Madagascar, the species appears to have decreased in 1991-97. Southern France and Corsica, Malta, Albania, and Turkey and to a lesser degree Portugal
and Bulgaria are visited regularly by a substantial part of the falcon population during April-October although there are no breeding colonies near-by.
This falcon is breeding in large colonies on rocky islets of the Mediterranean, along the Atlantic coast of Morocco and on the Canary islands. It is wintering in south-eastern Africa and Madagascar. The total population of the European Union is estimated at 3500-4000 breeding pairs, which represents 80-90% of the world population of this species. In some areas an increase has been reported, elsewhere a decrease.
The range of Eleonoras Falcon coincides almost completely with the Mediterranean basin. Breeding sites are distributed between the Canary Islands in the west and Cyprus in the east. The centre of the species range is the Aegean islands and Crete, which hold about 70 % of the world population. Whilst the wintering grounds are in Madagascar and for a fraction of the population probably in Tanzania, too, migration data are sketchy. Population trends on a historical scope are not available. From the Balearic Islands a yearly increase of 4 % has been recorded recently, in Italy there seems to be an increase of 10% in ten years, whereas a 15 % decline has been noted in Crete in the past decade. In Madagascar, the species appears to have decreased in 1991-97. Southern France and Corsica, Malta, Albania, and Turkey and to a lesser degree Portugal
and Bulgaria are visited regularly by a substantial part of the falcon population during April-October although there are no breeding colonies near-by.
Migration
Migratory. Summer visitor to Mediterranean and north-west Africa; absent November-March. From all colonies, including those on Atlantic coast of Morocco, migrates eastwards in autumn through Mediterranean and down Red Sea to winter quarters in East Africa and (especially) Madagascar; returns by reverse route in spring. A few Mediterranean records in March, but first arrivals there usually second half April and main arrivals May to early June. Northward movement still occurring Red Sea in May. Young fledge late September and first half October, and emigration occurs soon afterwards. Last dates Cyprus usually late October to early November
Distribution map
Literature
Title Flight performance during hunting excursions in Eleonora’s falcon Falco eleonor
Author(s): A Hedenstrom, M Rosen, S Akesson, and F Spina
Abstract: Among birds, falcons are high-performance flyers, ..[more]..
Source: The Journal of Experimental Biology 202, 2029-2039 (1999)
Title The study of nest-site preferences in Eleonora’s falcon Falco eleonorae
through digital terrain models on a western Mediterranean island
through digital terrain models on a western Mediterranean island
Author(s): G. Urios and A. Martinez-Abrai
Abstract: This study addresses nesting-site preferences in E..[more]..
Source: J Ornithol (2006) 147: 13-23
Title Soaring Flight in the Eleonora’s Falcon (Falco eleonorae)
Author(s): Mikael Rose and Anders Hedenstrom
Abstract: Eleonora’s Falcon (Falco eleonorae)
breeds in the..[more]..
breeds in the..[more]..
Source: The Auk 119(3):835-840, 2002
Title Is growing tourist activity
affecting the distribution or
number of breeding pairs in
a small colony of the Eleonora’s Falcon?
affecting the distribution or
number of breeding pairs in
a small colony of the Eleonora’s Falcon?
Author(s): A. Martnez-Abrain, D. Oro, V. Ferrs & R. Belenguer
Abstract: Is growing tourist activity affecting the distribu..[more]..
Source: Animal Biodiversity and Conservation 25.2 (2002)