The Red Book sake falcons of Altai State University to settle into the renovated aviary

In the fall, the Altai Falcon laboratory of rare birds at Altai State University completed the reconstruction of the aviary in which rare Red Book falcons, saker falcons, take their first flight.

In March of this year, the aviary in the nursery collapsed under the weight of wet snow. The wooden support, after being in the open air for more than 10 years, became unusable. Fortunately, there were no birds in the aviary at that moment, and no one was injured. Immediately specialists from the capital construction department of Altai State University replaced the wooden support with a new metal one, installed in a concrete foundation. It is higher and provides more space for the birds to fly. The construction is equipped with a gable roof, under which falcons can shelter from bad weather.

In addition, at the entrance to the aviary, a spacious vestibule was built, which has two purposes. Firstly, it will allow nursery staff to freely enter and exit the aviary without fear that the birds may fly out into the open space. Secondly, the vestibule will allow to easily catch the desired bird if necessary. With feeding tables installed there, the falcons will get used to feeding in the vestibule, they will fly into it fearlessly, and catching them in a small enclosed space will not be difficult.

In the fall, after all the work was completed, the first residents were moved into it. These are young animals and birds that are being prepared for reintroduction. Reintroduction is the restoration of populations of rare animal species in nature. For example, saker falcons are released into an area where they used to live, but have disappeared or their number has decreased significantly. But before that, the birds need to be prepared for life in nature.

“A bird needs to learn how to fly in order to acquire free flight skills and master the elements of hunting necessary for life in the wild. After all, our charges are hatched in incubators and only then placed in aviaries with foster parents who feed them until they are forty-five days old. At the age of two months, the chicks fly away from the nest and learn to fly independently to the feeding table and perch in the aviary. At this time, they can already be separated from their parents and they begin an independent life. To acquire flight skills, they are placed in an aviary. Young falcons quickly grow stronger and gain the necessary physical condition, which allows the birds to successfully adapt to life in nature, develop high flight speeds and hant successfully,” says Lydia Mendel, head of the laboratory at the Altai Falcon nursery for rare birds.

Usually young birds are released at the beginning of summer for a reason. Everything is natural in nature. When the rodents, which are the main source of food for the saker falcon, grow up and begin to occupy the space around the burrows, it is still not enough to be careful when predators appear and it is advisable to reintroduce young saker falcons, which quickly master hunting techniques and subsequently replenish natural populations.