Birds with tattoos appeared in the wild of Altai

Seven chicks of the rare Saker falcon have been released into the wild in the Kosh-Agachsky district of the Altai Republic by hacking. Thus, starting in 2021, Sailyugemsky National Park and its partners are restoring the numbers of the Saker falcon, which has practically disappeared from the Altai nature. In 2021−2023, 21 Saker falcons were released into nature.

From June to July, the chicks of the rare Saker falcon from the nursery spent time in special boxes on the territory of the Sailugem National Park. The birds received their food in a special hole in the aviaries without direct contact with humans. One wall of the hake is covered with a net, and the walls and roof reliably protected the chicks from the weather. Each chick has an amazing feature.

The specialists carefully applied small tattoos to the foot and forearm. In the case of birds being caught by poachers or hunters, it will be clear that the bird has already been in human hands, such a specimen cannot be sold to hawker hunters. According to the experience of fellow ornithologists from the Russian Network for the Study and Protection of Feathered Predators, it is known that violators usually release such birds. In addition, each bird is ringed, it is assigned an individual number, which will allow you to track the migration path and the fate of the birds.

The program to restore the abundance of the rare Saker Falcon was launched in the Sailugem National Park in 2021 in partnership with the Altai Falcon Rare Bird Nursery. This summer, the chicks were donated by the Sapsan Regional Public Fund for the Protection of Rare Birds from the Tula Region. The support was provided by the Interregional Association "Irbis".

Also last summer and this summer in the Kosh-Agachsky district of the Altai Republic, artificial nesting sites (duplons) were installed on rocks for the first time. The new "apartments" will attract birds to the territory and protect the chicks from the weather. The project was implemented by employees of the Russian Network for the Study and Protection of Feathered Predators with the support of the World Around You Foundation.

The recovery program for the Saker falcon in Altai is designed for a minimum of 5 years. Initially, scientists tried a method that has successfully proven itself in Tuva and Khakassia — placing small chicks from a nursery in the nests of wild Saker falcons, who do not notice the "foundlings", feed and raise them as relatives.

However, there were too few Saker falcon nests in the Altai, and owl nests were also a threat.

In 2021, it was decided to try out the hacking method — planting chicks in hakes — closed boxes with a mesh wall installed in the habitats of the saker falcon. Chicks grow up in the wild, getting food without direct contact with humans. Over time, the net is removed, and the chicks try to get up on the wing, first returning to the hake for the night, and later flying further away from the nest.

In 2023, 7 chicks were raised in this way, in 2022 — 10 chicks (of which 5 birds were adults), in 2021 — 4 large chicks, then the first hakes were installed.