The Altai falcon has been identified as a color morph of the Central Asian saker falcon (Falco cherrug milvipes), as per the latest genetic research (Zinevich et al. 2023). Previously, it was variously classified as a morph, a subspecies (Falco cherrug altaicus), and even separate species (Falco altaicus). It used to have a high reputation among Central Asian falconers.

Distribution and taxonomy

The Altai falcon breeds in a relatively small area of Central Asia across the Altai and Sayan Mountains. This area overlaps with the much larger breeding area of the saker falcon (Falco cherrug). Previously, it was believed that Altai falcons were either natural hybrids between sakers and gyrfalcons (Falco rusticolus), or rather the descendants of such rare hybrids backcrossing into the large population of sakers. However, the most recent research has demonstrated that Altai falcons are genetically intermingled with the broader Asian Saker population and do not constitute a distinct cluster, indicating that they do not represent a separate taxonomic entity.

Literature

External links to rare photos