A number of conservation measures are currently in place for the Amur falcon. As well as being listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning that international trade in the Amur falcon should be carefully regulated (4), the species is on Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), which aims to conserve migratory species throughout their range (11). The Amur falcon, along with other birds of prey, is also listed under Class B of the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, meaning that, within its African range, it can only be legally killed or captured with special authorisation (12). The congregation of thousands of Amur falcons at their winter roosting sites gives the perfect opportunity to census the species' global population, allowing population numbers and trends to be quantified, and any potential conservation threats to be identified and addressed (2) (9). The Migrating Kestrel Project, co-ordinated by the Birds of Prey Working Group of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa, was initiated in 1994 for this purpose, and continues to date (9).