In this paper Baikal region includes Irkutsk District, Ust-Orda Buryat National Autonomous region (named Pred-Baikalie throughout this paper), Buryat Republic, (the latter with the Pred-Baikalie constitutes Pri-Baikalie), and part of the Chita District witch is covered by the Baikal watershed. This paper also covers steppes of Dauria (Amur river basin) and southern regions of the Chita Region and Aginskiy Autonomous district.

In Predbaikalie the first proven nest record was made in 1964 (Sonin 1968). The observations of the author in 1980-90s showed that the Saker inhabit all large enough forest-steppe patches of Pred-baikalie. Forest-steppe here does not form an uninterrupted entity and has shape of islands separated by taiga forest and mountains. The north-most encounter with presumably nesting bird is recorded at the Udinskiy Bay of the Bratsk reservoir (54°10'N). North-western boarder of the range in Predbaikalie coincides with the Oka River.

In 1979-93 the highest density of the Saker falcon was observed on the forest-steppe covered western bank of the Bratsk reservoir. At the beginning of 80s there were 70 breeding pairs here. On the eastern bank of the Bratsk reservoir and in the Ust-Orda forest-steppes (watershed between the Angara and Lena rivers) Sakers were more scarce. In the forest-steppe part of the Baikal coast (Olkhon region) the Sakers were rare, in 1993 there were 3-5 pairs, and about the same on the Olkhon island itself. In the lower parts of the Angara river tributaries there were just few individual pairs. The total numbers of the Sakers in the Irkutsk District at the beginning o f 1980s was about 100 pairs. In some regions the numbers were increasing. For example in the western bank of the Bratsk reservoir (Pervomaisk settlement environs) on the study area of 30 km2 in 1979 there was one pair of Sakers, in 1982 -three.

From mid-1990s we started to receive alarming news about the species decline in the region. For example from 1996 one pair, which was breeding for many years from 1979 at the heronry on the Bratsk reservoir (Pervomaisk settlement), disappear. On the Samra study area one pair was monitored by the author from 1982-93 cease to exists, and from 1996 only one falcon has been observed. In 1998 we have studied all 15 known breeding territories of the Saker Falcon in Predbaikal region. Only two of the revisited territories has had broods: in the lower part of the Irkut river and in the Olkhon island. In the well known breeding site at the Sarma study area there was only one single falcon. We failed to find any new nests. The total length of the car survey route was 2810 km. In 1999 during car survey (a total effort was 6050 km) we found 3 occupied nests: one on the Irkut and two nests on the eastern bank of the Bratsk reservoir. We estimate the total number of the Saker Falcon in the Pred-Baikalie in 1998-99 as 10-20 pairs. Tat means that the total decline in numbers was 5-10 times. Interesting material has been collected on the Peregrine falcon. Before 1999 there only two breeding records in Predbaikalie, both very old: one nest was found in the precipices of the Iya river (1957), and in the Lena river (Sonin 1962). In 1999 there were 3 Peregrine nests found. One of which was located in the typical for this falcon habitat - on the slope in the Lena river valley in 30-40 km of the Sonin's 1958 nest), another two nests were found in not typical place. Both nests were found in forest-steppe with lack of bogs and open water. All three nests were located in the niches in the cliffs and were easy to climb for both humans and quadruped predators. Two of the nests were close to the Buryat villages (200 and 500 m). Despite this, at least in one case all chicks fledged. The food remains suggested that the dominant species in the diet was Rock Dove (Columba livia).

One of this nest sites was re-visited in 1998, but there was not occupied. It is not impossible that the re-appearance of the Peregrines was caused by the disappearing of larger and stronger Saker Falcon. In Buryatia the northern border of the breeding range is located on the north of the Bargusin depression (54°30'N). The falcon possibly breeds in the Selenga river delta. In the southern half of Buryatia the Saker was registered in the Selenga river valley and in the valleys of its tributaries (Khilok, Temnik, Dzhida and others), and in the Ivolginskaya, Orongoiskaya, Gusinoozersaya, Borgoiskaya and Tunkinskaya depressions. In the mountains if the Eastern Sayan in Buryatia (Okinskoe Plato, Tunkinsk Alps) there is potential habitat for Saker falcon. The valleys above the timber line are inhabited by the Long-tailed sousliks, Citellus undulatus - which is the main diet item of the Saker. In the similar conditions of the Altay mountains and Tuva the Saker breeds on the altitudes up to 2300-2400 m. On the Okinskioe Plato one nest of the black morph of the Saker was found by V.N. Esheev 18 June 1998. In the Bargusin depression there are 3-6 pairs, in the Tunkinskaya depression there is 2-4 pairs. Selenga mountains is the largest stronghold of Sakers in Pri-Baikalie. In September 1996 during one-day car survey trip in the Selenga and Dzhida regions we counted at least 10 Sakers. In the beginning of October 1997 on the same route (during 2 days of observations) we counted 20 Sakers (V.N. Esheev and E.N. Elaev, pers. comm.) Similar survey has been carried out 7-8 October 1998 together with V.N. Esheev and E.N. Elaev. We have counted 4 Sakers, one of which has had jessess on the tarsi. The dates of the surveys and the weather conditions were similar. On 23-25 September 1999 the survey was repeated again. Only one Saker has been sighted.

From the results of surveys in the Borgoiskoe depression I think that in the second half of 1990s there was an abrupt (at least 5 times) decline in numbers of the Sakers in Buryatia. In the plains of the republic in 1998 there was 20-40 pairs, in the mountains (Eastern Sayan) 10-20 pairs. The total numbers of the species in the whole Buryatia in 1998 is estimated as 30-60 pairs, in 1999 - 30-50 pairs. In Dauria the Saker falcon inhabits watershed between the Onon and Argun rivers. The northern border is not known yet, but the eastern one goes along the Argun river (along Russian - Chinese border). From 30 May to 7 July 1999 we have covered the steppes and forest-steppes of the Onon and Argun rivers with car surveys (2045 km) up to the Mongolian border. We have recorded some Sakers and found a nest with 4 chicks. In the same period V.N. Esheev and E.N. Elaev found another nest on the forested strip along a busy road a nest with 5 chicks. The nest was originally built by the Uppland Buzzard (Buteo hemilasius). According to the data by the zoologist of the Daurian State Reserve V. E. Kirilluk, in the beginning of 1990s in the Torei Lake region there were 5-7 pairs of Sakers. In 1999 the Sakers were not breeding here. There has been studied the southern stretch of the Nerchinsk Mountain Range at the Soktuy railway crossing (Chita-Zabaikalsk railroad). In this place the Sakers nests were found by E.I. Pavlov and B.K.Shtegman (Pavlov 1934). The nests were located on the rock pinnacles in the nests built by the Uppland Buzzards. The author has found 3 occupied and 3 un-occupied nests of the Uppland Buzzard, but no presence of the Sakers. In total during the car surveys in Dauria we found 16 occupied and 10 empty Uppland Buzzard nests. According to the specialists of the Daurian Nature Reserve, the density of the Uppland Buzzard was below average.

In 1990s according to the rough estimate of V.E. Kirriluk, in the steppes and forest-steppes of the Chita regions and the Aginsk autonomous district there were at least 300 pairs of Sakers. In 1999 the numbers were estimated as 30-60 pairs. Thus the total numbers of the Sakers in the Baikal region was 70-130 pairs. At the beginning of 1990s the numbers of Sakers were 750-950 pairs, of which 150-200 were breeding in Predbaikalie, 300-400 in Buryatia, 300-350 in Dauria. In the second half on 1990s the numbers declined 5-10 times. As the observations show, the food resources of the Saker falcon in 1998-1999 were in plenty of supply in Predbaikalie, and below the average in Dauria. The nest sites availability (provided by Imperial Eagle, Black Kite and Uppland Buzzard) exceed the requirements of the Sakers. The most likely reason of the Saker decline in the Baikal region is illegal capturing. In the latest years there is more and more data on the activities of foreign (mostly Syrian) and Russian groups of falcon traders. The officers of the Pri-Baikalie National Park told us about the activity of at least 2 groups of Syrian trappers in the park in 1999. It is worth noting that in the past 2 years the results of search efforts were less successful than in 1980s. Before the Sakers were breeding in large and easy to spot nests of Imperial Eagles. Out of three nests found in 1999 two were located far from the roads in the nest of Uppland Buzzards and Black Kites. The third nest was found in a very un-typical place - on the bank cliffs of the Irkut river in the forested valley, in the area away from the roads. I guess, that this could be an indirect evidence of the illegal pressure, as nowadays only left pairs are those which are difficult to locate.

At the moment, the Saker Falcon is breeding in the three protected areas of the Baikal region: in the Pri-Baikalie National Park, Daurian Nature Reserve and in Tunkinskiy National Park. Some time ago there were 10 pairs in the Pri-Baikalie National Park, 2-4 in Tunkinskiy national Park and 5-7 in the Daurian Reserve. But even protected territories cannot ensure the protection of the falcon. The nest sites in the National Parks are located in the zone of the mass recreation activities and are visited by lots of Russian and foreign tourists, and are difficult to control. In the Daurian reserve all nest sites are easy to access by illegal trappers. Outside the protected areas any types of control are lacking. In such conditions the most important action which could be possibly taken in the Baikal region is to curb the channels of illegal export of the Falcons.

Thus, the Saker Falcon populations inhabiting the Baikal Region and some years ago were one of the largest in Russia, nowadays are in the crisis. The local birds are large and vary in coloration. Living in the north-most extend of the breeding range these birds have to migrate longer distances than the southern populations, and therefore are stronger and more valuable for the falconers. The quality of the Siberian birds make the trappers to maintain the brake even at the lowest population density. The Siberian falcons are exposed for trapping effort in Mongolia and in China. Besides, the environmental factors have a serious influence on the falcons on the northerly distributed falcons. The vulnerability and market value of the Siberian falcons suggests that there is a need to monitor the populations and measures against illegal export.

References

Pavlov, E.I. 1934. [Steppe rodents and natural pests of the Zabaikalie endemic stronghold of plaque, their biology and role in the plaque distribution.]. Proceedings of the Irkutsk Anti-Plaque Institute of Siberian and Far East. 1: 101-131. (In Russian).
Sonin, V.D. 1962. [Some materials on the diet and distribution of the birds of prey of the Irkutsk District.] Proc. East. Siberian dept. of the Geographical Society of the USSR, Irkutsk 60: 138-146. In Russian.
Sonin, V.D. 1968. [On Saker Falcon breeding in the Irkutsk District]. Ornitologia (Russ). 9: 373-375. (In Russian).

Proceedings of the II International Conference on the Saker Falcon and Houbara Bustard, Mongolia, 1-4 July 2000. - P. 58-63.