Lanner Falcon
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Falco biarmicus
Population size
Unknown
Life Span
15-17 years
Top speed
144
89
km/hmph
km/h mph 
Weight
500-900
17.6-31.7
goz
g oz 
Length
43-50
16.9-19.7
cminch
cm inch 
Wingspan
95-105
37.4-41.3
cminch
cm inch 

The lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus ) is a medium-sized bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. It prefers open habitat and is mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely after the breeding season. A large falcon, it preys on birds and bats.

Appearance

The Lanner falcon is a medium-sized but powerful bird of prey. European lanner falcons have slate grey or brown-grey upperparts; most African subspecies are a paler blue-grey above. Northern birds have a streaked breast and a reddish back to the head. Lanner falcons have long pointed wings and short tails. Their powerful beak is hooked and is greyish-blue in color.

Lanner Falcon habitat map
Lanner Falcon
Attribution-ShareAlike License

Habits and Lifestyle

Lanner falcons are diurnal meaning that they are active during the daylight hours. They live in pairs and often hunt in groups. Lanner falcons are fast and agile flyers and usually hunt by horizontal pursuit; they take mainly bird prey in flight. They also follow human hunters sometimes, taking prey that they flush and are known to steal food from other birds of prey. Like all raptors, these strong hunters have very keen sight and their call is a harsh "wray-e". Lanner falcons are mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely after the breeding season.

Group name
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

Lanner falcons are carnivores. They prey mainly on birds and bats but will also take insects, small mammals, reptiles and occasionally domestic fowl.

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
REPRODUCTION SEASON
varies with location
INCUBATION PERIOD
4 weeks
INDEPENDENT AGE
3.5 months
FEMALE NAME
falcon
MALE NAME
tiercel
BABY NAME
eyas, eyass
web.animal_clutch_size
3-4 eggs

Lanner falcons are monogamous and form life-lasting pair bonds. Their breeding season varies depending on the geographical region. Lanner falcons don't build nests and the female lays 3 to 4 eggs, usually on a cliff ledge nest, or occasionally in an old stick nest in a tree. Both parents incubate the eggs for about 4 weeks. Once hatched the chicks will fledge in 5-6 weeks and will become completely independent from their parents in about 2 months. Young Lanner falcons usually become reproductively mature at 1-2 years of age.

Population

Population threats

Lanner falcons are very common in Africa; however declining populations make them endangered at the European level. The reasons for these declines are habitat loss, and elevated pesticide use. These birds also suffer from human disturbance; the eggs are stolen from nests for collectors, zoos, and tourists and the birds themselves are shot by hunters seeking larks or trying to control the populations of "pest" birds like corvids. Rock climbers also disturb breeding sites and this causes birds to abandon their nests.

Population number

The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Lanner falcon total population size. According to the IUCN Red List, the European population of the Lanner falcon is estimated at 430-840 pairs, which equates to 850-1,700 mature individuals. According to the University of Michigan (Museum of Zoology) resource, there are fewer than 1,400 breeding pairs of the Lanner falcon exist in the world. Currently, Lanner falcons are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and their numbers today are increasing.

Fun Facts for Kids

  • Lanner falcons have a binocular vision; they are able to see prey from a great distance and accurately judge distances. The eyesight of these graceful hunters is eight times better than humans.
  • Lanner falcons have a "tooth", a small notch in their beaks.
  • The bones of Lanner falcons are lightweight, and some are hollow; this aids in greater flying abilities and agility.
  • Human diving at these speeds would not be able to breathe at all; it's because raptors have special adaptations in their nostrils that allow them to breathe at such speed.

References

1. Lanner Falcon on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanner_falcon
2. Lanner Falcon on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22696487/93567240
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/577955

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About