Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (extent of occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and past declines are not believed to have been be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over 10 years or three generations). The population size is moderately small to large, and it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in 10 years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
In Europe (which covers >95% of the breeding range), the population is estimated at 14,200-14,500 pairs, which equates to 28,400-28,900 mature individuals (BirdLife International in prep.). The North African population is estimated at approximately 2,000-2,200 pairs, or 4,000-4,400 mature individuals (Garrido et al. in prep.). Therefore the overall population is estimated at 32,400-33,300 mature individuals, equating to c.48,600-50,000 individuals.
Trend justification
In Europe, which holds a large proportion of the global population, the population size is estimated to be stable (BirdLife International in prep.). The population in North Africa is estimated to be increasing due to conservation actions (Garrido et al. in prep), although there have been significant declines in some parts of Algeria (Touati et al. 2017).
Behaviour The species is fully migratory, leaving its Mediterranean breeding grounds in October and November to winter in Madagascar, East Africa and the Mascarene Islands. The return journey begins in late April and May (del Hoyo et al. 1994). Birds are known to fly as high as 1,000 m during the breeding season (Snow and Perrins 1998). They are generally gregarious (though sometimes solitary), tending to move in small and loose flocks, and on migration often associating with other species flying at high altitudes, including F. subbuteo (Snow and Perrins 1998, Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001). They hunt mainly at twilight (del Hoyo et al. 1994). Habitat Birds usually breed and stop over on small islands and islets, wintering mainly in open woodland on Madagascar (del Hoyo et al. 1994). Diet It feeds on large flying insects and small birds (del Hoyo et al. 1994). Breeding site Birds nest in the holes and ledges of sea cliffs, or on the ground (del Hoyo et al. 1994). Management information The species appears to require very peaceful or uninhabited islands on which to breed, with direct exploitation and development both shown to be negative consequences of close proximity to people; effective protection has led to strong recoveries where implemented (del Hoyo et al. 1994).
The species has historically suffered from exploitation and persecution brought about by local people, including collecting chicks for food, although this practice has declined significantly (Global Raptor Information Network 2015). Human disturbance associated with tourism development has also been shown to negatively influence birds’ breeding success (Martínez-Abrain et al. 2002, Orta and Kirwan 2014), and is present throughout much of the breeding range (pressures and threats data reported by EU Member States under Article 12 of the Birds Directive for the period 2013-2018). Disturbance and habitat degradation brought about by overgrazing and intensification of agriculture is a threat in many breeding areas (Ristow 1999; pressures and threats data reported by EU Member States under Article 12 of the Birds Directive for the period 2013-2018). Predation by rats and cats is also important on many breeding islands (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001; Touati et al. 2017). Accidental pesticide poisoning was thought to be responsible for a decline in the breeding population on Crete (Ristow and Xirouchakis 2000; Ristow 2001). The species is vulnerable to the effects of potential wind energy development (STRIX 2012; Kassara et al. 2019). Deforestation and persecution may be threats in the wintering grounds, however the impact of these is unknown (Ristow 1999). Climate change is also predicted to have a significant effect on this species, for example through increased incidence of wildfires causing deterioration of foraging habitat; a shift in the timing and distribution of autumn passerine migration affecting prey availability during the peak breeding season; a shift in both breeding and wintering range leading to reduced habitat availability and increased exposure to threats; and increased drought conditions limiting water availability at breeding sites and food availability during migration (Kassara et al. 2019; Fric et al. 2019)
Conservation actions underway
CITES Appendix II, CMS Appendix II, Raptors MOU Category 3, EU Birds Directive Annex I. In addition the species is protected by national laws in many countries within its range. An International Species Action Plan was published in 1999 (Ristow 1999) and was reviewed in 2010. A national action plan is established in Italy and regional action plans are in place in Spain. The species is also included in an Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Madagascar. Monitoring programmes exist in most European countries at a national level and in protected areas in Greece, Spain and Cyprus (Barov and Derhé 2011). Private research on the species has been conducted on an archipelago off Crete for three decades, in collaboration with the University of Heidelberg and the area became an SPA in 1997 (Ristow 1999). An EU LIFE Nature project, ‘Conservation measures for Falco eleonorae in Greece’ was set up in 2003, which met with much success performing the first ever global population census of Eleonora’s falcon, undertaking many public awareness campaigns, and reducing nest predation through rat eradication programmes. Another LIFE project, 'Conservation measures to assist the adaptation of Falco eleonorae to climate change' was set up in 2013. The Conservatoire du Littoral has been coordinating, since 2005, an international programme for the promotion and assistance for the management of Mediterranean insular micro-spaces, known as the PIM Initiative for the Mediterranean Small Islands, which is financed by the Fonds Français pour l’Environnement Mondial (FFEM) (French Global Environment Facility), the Agence de l’eau Rhône Méditerranée-Corse and the City of Marseille. This programme has supported monitoring programmes in Tunisia and Morocco, where the species has been monitored for a long time in its main colony in the Essaouira islands (Qninba et al. 2016). Research on the species has been conducted in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. A net expansion of the species has been observed in Morocco thanks to the end of the direct persecutions (Rguibi et al. 2012a). In Morocco, the species is included in the preparation of a strategy for conservation of birds of prey (https://www.iucn.org/news/mediterranean/202001/first-steps-towards-a-moroccan-strategy-raptor-conservation-iucns-guidance).
Conservation Actions Proposed
Effective actions to protect coastal areas should be implemented and Environmental Impact Assessments conducted on all developments in coastal areas. National and international coastal tourism policies should discourage the development of new resorts and favour environmentally friendly, sustainable tourism. Colonies should be protected by non-intrusion zones. Wintering areas and their ecological requirements and threats should be identified and protection implemented for these and areas of migration habitat. The impacts of predation by rats, cats, and dogs should be investigated and eradication programmes for invasive species should be implemented. Awareness of the species should be raised and the value of its habitat promoted (Barov and Derhé 2010).
Text account compilers
Haskell, L.
Contributors
Dowsett, R.J., Ekstrom, J., Butchart, S., Ashpole, J, Khwaja, N. & Burfield, I.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Eleonora's Falcon Falco eleonorae. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/eleonoras-falcon-falco-eleonorae on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.