Results
In total, 118 nesting aids, 64 platforms and 54 nest boxes, have already been mounted on high voltage power pylons in the network of the Austrian Power Grid AG (APG) in Austria until the end of 2015. The joy of the project managers about the well accepted nesting aids is justified. Besides hobbies and kestrels more and more saker falcons use the „penthouses“ high up on the pylons. The data, which is gathered by the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology (FIWI) and BirdLife, verifies the success.
| Austria | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saker couples total | 53 | 50 | 53 | 53 | 49 | 48 | 36 | 40 | 36 | 30 |
| Successfully breeding couples | 42 | 34 | 42 | 41 | 38 | 34 | 30 | 25 | 26 | 19 |
| Fledglings total | 121 | 101 | 128 | 111 | 123 | 109 | 84 | 68 | 65 | 52 |
| Territorial couples* on artificial nesting aids | 52 | 46 | 46 | 50 | 45 | 44 | 30 | 36 | 31 | 26 |
| Fledglings from artificial nesting aids** | 121 | 95 | 111 | 102 | 121 | 101 | 74 | 58 | 62 | 47 |
| Territorial couples* in crow nests on power lines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Fledglings from crow nests on power lines** | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Territorial couples* on stick nests (tree) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Fledglings from stick nests (tree)** | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 5 |
| Average fledgling number / artificial nesting aids** | 2.88 | 2.97 | 3.08 | 2.68 | 3.27 | 3.26 | 2.74 | 2.76 | 2.58 | 2.76 |
| Average fledgling number / crow nests on power lines** | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.00 | 3.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 |
| Average fledgling number / stick nests (tree)** | 0 | 3.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.00 | 2.50 | 1.50 | 2.50 |
* The term territorial couples includes breeding as well as non-breeding couples
** Only successfully breeding couples were drawn on for this list respectively the calculations
The results of the past years show a positive trend of the saker falcon population in Austria. The installed nesting aids contribute fundamentally to this development. However, the buildup of a stable Austrian saker falcon population takes its time. Up to date the monitoring results show by all means that the sakers respond positively to the artificial nesting aids. Therefore, the Austrian initiative plans to increase the number of available nesting aids to 150 during the next years.
