Since last Thursday, hundreds of birdwatchers have been flocking to the polders of Uitkerke in the seaside resort of Blankenberge. A rare saker falcon has been spotted. The saker falcon is a species of large falcon that normally lives in Eastern Europe and Asia. According to Frank De Scheemaeker of the Mergus birdwatching group, the bird accidentally strayed off course and has remained in the polders, low-lying land behind the coastline that is protected by a dike, because plenty of food is present.
The saker falcon is normally found only in Asia and Eastern Europe, in countries such as Romania and Bulgaria. But even there, the species is becoming increasingly rare because it is under threat. Bird experts estimate that there are now only around 500 breeding pairs left.
The fact that the bird has now also been spotted in Flanders is exceptional news, which since last week has been attracting around a hundred birdwatchers to the polders of Uitkerke every day.
A rare, impressive bird
If you want to see the bird, you’ll have to make a bit of an effort, says Frank De Scheemaeker of the Mergus birdwatching group. “It’s not like a heron or a wader that just sits obediently on a puddle,” he explains. “The saker falcon flies around the wider area. You’ll easily have to spend a whole day out in the field to stand a chance of spotting it. I’ve been out looking for it twice so far without success.”
Twitchers who are patient will be richly rewarded, says De Scheemaeker. “Not only is it a rare bird, but it is also very impressive. Measuring 55 centimetres in length and with a wingspan of up to 1.30 metres, it is much larger than the falcons we normally see in Flanders. It is not clear whether it is a male or a female. Females are always larger than males, but it is still a young bird that is probably not yet fully grown.”
Polders provide the perfect habitat
It is uncertain how the saker falcon ended up in Uitkerke. “It probably strayed off course by accident and decided to stay in the polders for a while,” says De Scheemaeker. “It is, after all, an ideal habitat: an open landscape with plenty of mice and other small mammals.”
De Scheemaeker and other bird experts expect the falcon to remain in the polders for a few more weeks due to the abundant food supply. After that, it is likely to continue its migration via France, in the hope that it will find its way back to Romania or Bulgaria. “As the bird is not ringed, we will never know for certain whether that will happen. However, previous ringing records of other bird species have shown that some stray birds do eventually return to their original habitat.”