In 19th and first half of 20th century the Saker was a common species in the lowlands of the republic. M. N. Bogdanov (1879) notes that this species is rather common in a valley of the river Terek. L. B. Boeme (1925, 1935, 1950) describes the Saker as a common bird in the steppe below Kizlyar and notes seeing them on Temirgoiskiye lakes. S. S. Turov, Krasovsky (1933) and V. N. Ter-Vartanov with the co-authors (1954) reports about a specimen from the lower reaches of Terek and Sulak. Y. V. Pishvanov specifies sightings of passage and wintering birds in foothill and lowland areas of the republic.

During migration the birds follow the migration corridor (arranged on a type of "bottle neck") along the Caspian coast. During migration the birds adhere to the ridges of East Caucasus and only some individuals migrate along the sea coast. In particular, one bird I observed on 15.10.98 was flying in the area of Sulakskaya lagoon located 17 kms to the north-west of Makhachkala.

According to some gamekeepers, hunters and birdwatchers migrating birds were seen in the autumn period on Kuma and Sulak. There is no recent proven nest record of Saker in Dagestan. However on the basis of the available information it is possible to assume probability of Saker nesting in floodplain forest (so called tugai shrub) of northern Dagestan located in the territory between Terek and Sulak (see map). Also birds were observed during the breeding period in foothill districts of southern Dagestan (in a high-altitude zone from 850-1200 m) - Kurakhsky and Akushkincky (see map). By our estimation the estimated number of nesting Sakers in Dagestan could be as high as 5-6 pairs. Recent numbers counted during migrations were 25-30 individuals.

A catastrophic reduction of Sakers has taken place in this region in 1960s, when the intensive development of soils of Terek-Culak lowland began. Nowadays there is a tendency for a change in nesting distribution of Sakers in Dagestan. It is caused by the military action in Chechnya and regions bordering on the Republic. The restoration of former nest area is improbable, though is possible under condition of reduction of anthropogenous influence on natural habitat. Nowadays a serious danger for Sakers (and also for other predatory birds - Peregrine, Golden Eagle etc.) is represented by the businessmen-trappers that catch and export rare species of raptors, including Saker (in particular to the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Iran and other countries where falconry is popular).

References:

1. Boeme L. B. (1925) Results of ornithological excursions in Kizlyar district of Dagestan in 1921-1922. Vladikavkaz, pp. 1-25.
2. Boeme L. B. (1935) Birds of the North-Caucasian territory. - Pyatigorsk. 141 p.
3. Boeme L. B. (1950) Along Caucasus // Nature and hunt. Moscow Society of Nature Researches - Moscow.
4. Bogdanov M. N. (1879) Birds of Caucasus // Works of a society of natural scientists at Imperial Kazan University. - Kazan V. 8, book. 4. -197 p.
5. Krasovsky D. B. (1950) Materials to knowledge of fauna of ground vertebrates of Rutulsky canton of DASSR // News of 2 North-Caucasian pedagogical institutes. v. 9. - pp. 186-219.
6. Pishvanov Y. V. (1998) Materials of the Red Data Book of Dagestan. Makhachkala.
7. Ter-Vartanov V. N., Gusev V. M., Bekeev N. N., Labunets N. F., Guseva A. A., Reznik P. A. (1954) To a question on transfer of mammal ectoparasites by birds // a Zoological magazine. V. 33, book. 5. - pp. 1116-1125.
8. Turov S. S., Krasovsky D. V. (1933) A study of fauna of Prisulaksky Deer Reserve // a Zoological magazine. V. 12, book. 4. - pp. 35-36.

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