Observations from 1998 - 2006 on the breeding population of Sooty Falcons Falco concolor on the Hawar Islands, Kingdom of Bahrain.

The breeding population of Sooty Falcons was observed on the Hawar islands from 1998-2006. The number of breeding pairs and the total productivity of the population were recorded annually. The population declined by 33% during that period, from 15 to 10 breeding pairs. The annual productivity fluctuated between 0.92 and 1.33 chicks per pair, but without any apparent trend. These figures are below the mean recorded in other populations. A recent review of the literature would indicate that the world population of this species has been seriously overestimated and further research is needed as a matter of urgency.