Saudi study links wind exposure to lower peregrine falcon breeding productivity

Saudi study links wind exposure to lower peregrine falcon breeding productivity

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, September 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Falcons has published a study linking stronger winds and more exposed nesting sites to lower breeding productivity in mountain peregrine falcons, findings that could help guide the selection of sites for releasing falcons into the wild.

The study, published in September 2026 in the international scientific journal Life, tracked 59 breeding sites in northwestern and southwestern Saudi Arabia during the 2026 breeding season.

Researchers examined wind speed, rainfall, temperature and the direction nesting cliffs faced relative to prevailing winds. The sites produced an average of 1.97 chicks each.

Statistical analysis showed that a 0.678-metre-per-second increase in average seasonal wind speed was associated with a predicted 19.5% decline in chick production. Cliffs facing more directly into prevailing winds were associated with a predicted 18.7% decline.

The findings suggest wind conditions and nest exposure could help inform assessments of falcon release sites, alongside other environmental factors and site characteristics.

The researchers recommended monitoring breeding sites across multiple seasons and taking more detailed field measurements to refine site assessments and support conservation programs.

The study was co-authored by Dr. Munif Al-Rashidi of the National Center for Falcons and the University of Hail, and Dr. Mohammed Shobrak of Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife.

It is the National Center for Falcons’ first peer-reviewed study published in a journal ranked in the top quartile (Q1) by Journal Citation Reports (JCR).

The research forms part of the center’s efforts to expand scientific knowledge of falcons and their habitats and apply the findings to release and conservation programs.

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