There is significant interest across the continent for a European meeting of raptor specialists, a conference that has not been held for a very long time. This event will provide a vital platform for experts to connect in person. It is a unique and long-overdue opportunity to share the latest research, discuss new conservation strategies, and exchange crucial knowledge about raptor ecology. By fostering collaboration and building a stronger network, the meeting will be instrumental in advancing future efforts to protect and study these incredible birds across Europe.

The Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus is an icon of success in nature conservation.

In many countries its populations are in favourable conservation status, even better than before the major declines that occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. In many countries there are ongoing projects involving reintroduction and management of the wild populations, in others such projects have now ended successfully. At the same time, we must remember that those success stories are related to only less than a half of the subspecies, and that they cover less than one-third of the species’ breeding distribution range. Some populations are declining still or again, and we simply do not know about the population size and trends of most of the subspecies. Even in well-studied subspecies’ populations with good conservation status remain challenging tasks like to re-establish the tree-nesting population in Central Europe, for example.

Peregrine studies are routinely presented at ornithological conferences, but as one of many other issues. This Conference will bring together experts, researchers and enthusiasts from around the world to present the extensive range of Peregrine research that has been carried out over the last ten years, and not as the main theme.

When discussing the history of Peregrine conferences, it is worth noting the long-standing involvement of the organisers.

A smaller Peregrine conference took place in Ciechocinek, Poland in 1994, with the proceedings published in Acta Ornithologica, Vol. 30, No. 1, 1995.

This was followed by the 3rd International Peregrine Conference, held in Poznań, Poland in 2007. The proceedings for this event were published in "Peregrine Falcon populations – status and perspectives in the 21st century", serving as a continuation of previous international conferences held in the USA in 1965 (Madison, WI) and 1985 (Sacramento, CA).

Most recently, the 4th International Peregrine Conference was held in Budapest, Hungary in 2017.

Now, two decades after the Poznań Conference and a decade after Budapest Conference the global status of the Peregrine has improved significantly in Europe and North America. We celebrate this success, and the fact that the species is very far from where it was at the time of the 1st and 2nd international Peregrine conferences, not forgetting that we still have a lot to do in other parts of the world. We also celebrate the return of tree-nesting population in Poland and Germany.

This Conference offers a unique opportunity where Peregrine enthusiasts from all over the world can meet up to renew old acquaintances, make new friends and exchange knowledge, experience and ideas. It will be an international celebration of this truly spectacular and cosmopolitan bird for prey.

This Conference is a collaborative effort involving the following organisations:

• Society for the Protection of Wild Animals "Falcon" from Poland
• BirdLife Hungary/MME (Magyar Madártani és Természetvédelmi Egyesület)

The Society “Falcon” will host the Conference with the help of other organisations.

Supporters of the Conference:

• Poznań Life Science University
• Raptor Research Foundation
• International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey

We are open to further collaboration with other organisations and interested parties.