The adventures of Hala, Burja, Vihra, Vejo - the Bulgarian Saker falcons

We are glad to inform you that so far things have really been going great for them.

At first Hala really worried us making a premature and clumsy attempt to leave the nest just a few days after they were transported there. Fortunately the Institute of biodiversity and ecosystem studies’ team found her immedeately and after a careful examination she was put back in the nest with the other three falcons. This misadventure apperantly made an impact on the young bird, so later Hala was the last to dare leave the nest – 51 days after she was hatched.

The group had another extreme experience when the only male in the group – Vejo decided to fly away. During a severe storm, wind blowing with more than 100 km/h literally blew him away 43 days after he was hatched, with a great bang he left the nest to come back 3 days later. Luckily the transmitter attached to each bird showed that he was sleeping about a kilometer away from the nest. Today Vejo flies in and out of the nest as he pleases, which makes him not just the only male and adopted by the group bird, but also the first falcon to fly away this year.

50 days after being hatched Burq flied away and came back after 30 hours of hiking.

On day 51 shortly before Hala‘s flight – Vihra flew away and she has not yet showed back, the last time she was seen she was being chased by two buzards.


4 days now the birds are on a strict diet – we cut their daily portions in half. This way we imitated what parents do when the falcons are becoming of flying age. This will stimulate the young birds to perminently leave the nest and make their first hunting attempts. We expect that by the end of June the birds will start to feed themselves and leave the place they were released. We will keep tracking their way across the wild nature using the satelite transmitters, placed on the back of each bird.


This is how we found out that Kris – a falcon released last year, has been living in Southern Romania , 10 kilomewters from the Bulgarian border for two months . The region is agricultural – fields and grasslands, home for many ground squirrels. Her resting places are two 110 KW utility poles.
We are eagerly waiting for the new adventures of the falcons who are the first to be hatched in Bulgaria from decades, as Burq, Hala, Vihra and Vejo fly in Bulgarian skies.

The project “Reintroduction of the Sacer Falcon in Bulgaria” is a part of the research and conservation programme Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi executed by the Institute of biodiversity and ecosystem studies –BAS, Green Balkans and International Wildlife Consultants (UK) Ltd and with the support of Spatia Wildlife and (ZOO Bojnice).

For more information contact:
Dimitar Ragiov - Project Menager
е-mail: dimitar.ragyov@gmail.com; моб.тел. +359898585553,

Hristina Klisurova - Veterinarian
Public Relations, Wildlife Rescue Centre
e-mail: hhristova@greenbalkans.org; phone: + 359 886570053

Photos: Dimitar Ragiov, Tsvetan Tenev, Ivajlo Dimchev, Green Balkans