FALCONIDAZ—FALCONS. 169 
SAKER FALCON. 
Falco sacer Gwmel. 
Adult Male: Head and nape wire, or tinged with rufous 
and streaked with dark brown; upper parts generally dull 
brown, the feathers margined with rufous; wings dark brown, 
the primaries marked on inner webs with cream-coloured or 
white blotches or bars; a// tazl-feathers pale brown, each one 
having conspicuous cream-coloured spots on both webs, and whit- 
ish tips ; under parts white, copiously marked on breast and 
flanks, and less conspicuously on chest, with large round or 
oval spots of brown; cere and legs yellow; bill horn-blue ; 
irides brown. Length 17 to 18°5 inches; culmen 1°2; wing 
ig25 tOves asta). 9-5 > tarsus 2°25. 
Adult Female: Resembles the male, but is considerably 
larger. 
Immature Birds: Have the upper parts a pale dingy 
brown, the feathers being narrowly margined with greyish 
or tinged with rufous, central pair of rectrices unmarked ; 
entire under parts (except chin) boldly blotched with dark 
brown. Females can easily be distinguished from males by 
their greater size. 
Distribution: Eastern and South-eastern portions of 
Europe, Northern Africa, and ranges in Asia as far east as 
China. 
Habitat : Partial to wooded localities, but is also found in 
open country. Used in some countries for hawking purposes. 
Note.—Very old birds appear to become more and more barred with rufous 
on the back and less spotted beneath, while the ground colour of the 
under surface approaches cream-colour. 
ron sy. 
Falco subbuteo zzz. 
Adult Male: <Adove dark slate-grey, darker on head and 
fore parts, and clearer on rump and tail-feathers ; primaries 
blackish, these and the rectrices spotted on inner webs with 
white or very pale rufescent ; beneath pale buff, sides of neck, 
