Deforestation is one theory of the Taita falcon retreat but this is unproven. It may suffer from nest-site competition with Peregrines, F. peregrinus and Lanners, F. biarmicus in certain areas.
There are fears that organochlorine pesticide spraying in northern Zimbabwe may have a fatal impact on the important population there.
The Taita falcon is uncommon to rare throughout its wide but discontinuous African range, from southern Africa east of Namibia and Angola up to Ethiopia and the Sudan. Its habitat includes gorges and escarpments in semi-arid country at moderate to high altitudes often overlooking river valleys and hunting over dry deciduous woodland.
The Taita falcon is considered as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN Red List.