THE SAKER FALCON. 
Falco sacer. 
Plate XXXIII. 
The Saker Falcon, although one of the species most esteemed in the days of Falconry, was confounded 
by Pennant, Latham, and other writers at the beginning of the present century, with the Lanner and 
its allies of the group of the true Falcons. Professor Schlegel, in his great work on Falconry, was the 
first to point out the true characters of this bird, and to restore to it its ancient name of Falco sacer, the 
latter term being derived from its Arabic name of “El Sakkr,” and not from any idea of sanctity being 
attached to it. 
The Saker, which is found wild in the eastern portion of Europe and in Western Asia, is still highly 
prized by the Arabian Falconers. “The price of a well-trained Sakkr or Lanner,” says Mr. Tristram, in 
his interesting book, “The Great Sahara,” “is from 200 to 300 Spanish dollars (£40 to £60), and 1 
repeatedly, but in vain, offered 200 dollars for one. The Sheik considers a Falcon of the same value 
as a thorough-bred horse, and will exchange one for the other.” 
The accompanying plate represents the same individual of this species in two different stages. The 
upper figures were taken soon after the bird arrived in the Society’s possession, and the lower, with 
the transverse bars on the shoulders, after it had attained fully adult plumage, having been for some 
time in the Gardens. The specimen in question was obtained in Cilicia, and presented to the Society 
by the late Mr. Burkhardt Barker, along with a female Wild Ass (Equas hemippus), which still lives in 
the Menagerie. 
Our example of this Falcon had evidently been well trained, although, owing to Mr. Barker’s absence, 
it was never flown here. From its extreme gentleness it came home in the most beautiful condition, 
on a very clever Arab block, specially adapted for travelling purposes. This is an inverted cone, the 
base covered with leather, and the apex prolonged by a pointed iron rod, of eighteen inches in length, 
by which it is easily fixed anywhere, on the floor of a room, or in the open air upon the ground. The 
Bird sits on the inverted base with great comfort, and without the possibility of injuring either tail or 
wings. The Saker moulted several times on this block, but at last, from want of exercise, became inter¬ 
nally diseased, and we lost him. 
The Saker was found breeding in the month of April, 1860, by Mr. W. II. Simpson, in the Dobrudska, 
as will be seen by reference to the account of its nesting given by that gentleman in the “Ibis” for October 
of that year. The eggs then obtained, one of which is figured in -the same Journal, are probably the 
only perfectly authenticated specimens known of the eggs of this Falcon. 
