The Mongolian government banned the commercial export of the saker falcon for five years in 2013. Despite this, the birds’ numbers are continuing to decline. The survey estimated that there were between 6,000 to 18,000 falcons in 1998-2005; the numbers have now  decreased to 4000-14,000. 

Last week, a conference on bird research took place in Kyrgyzstan. The ornithology specilaists concluded that the number of saker falcons has decreased by 40 percent due to food shortages.

However, a growing number of the prized birds are falling victim to a flourishing trade across international boundaries, fuelled by wealthy Arab falconers who have been known to pay as much as $20,000 (U.S.) for a birds of prey. The saker falcons in this impoverished country are considered among the best hunting birds in the world. After a drastic fall in the traditional falcon population in Siberia and Kazakhstan, the target of the Arab buyers is shifting to Mongolia. Some biologists are worried about a potential threat to the survival of the birds in our country.

From 1994 to 2001, Mongolia sold an average of about 80 saker falcons a year to Arab countries. Last year, the number increased to about 300, with each falcon earning a price of $4,500 (U.S.).