Merlin (Falco columbarius)

Other Names (World)
Merlin, Pigeon Hawk

Family
Falconidae (Falcons, Caracaras)

Size
25 - 33 cm
Wingspan: 53 - 73 cm

First Described (Guide)
Linnaeus, 1758

Habitat
Moorland and upland bogs during the breeding season. In winter, on lowland heaths and coastal marshes.

Range (Guide)

Afghanistan (P), Albania, Algeria, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia (NB), Aruba, Austria (NB), Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus (B) (NB), Belgium (NB) (P), Belize, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B), Brazil, Bulgaria (NB) (P), Canada (B) (P), Cayman Islands, China (mainland) (B), Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (B) (NB) (P), Cuba, Cyprus (NB), Czech Republic (NB), Denmark (NB) (P), Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia (B) (NB), Faroe Islands (B) (NB), Finland (B) (NB) (P), France (NB) (P), French Guiana, Germany (NB) (P), Gibraltar, Greece (NB), Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary (NB), Iceland (B) (NB), India, Iran [Islamic Republic of], Iraq (NB), Ireland (B) (NB) (P), Israel, Italy (NB) (P), Jamaica, Japan, Jordan (NB), Kazakhstan (B), Kyrgyzstan (B) (NB), Laos, Latvia (B) (NB), Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania (B) (NB), Luxembourg (NB), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (NB), Martinique, Mexico, Moldova [Republic of] (NB), Mongolia (B), Montenegro (NB), Montserrat, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands (NB), Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, North Korea, Norway (B) (P), Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Poland (NB) (P), Portugal (NB), Puerto Rico, Romania (NB), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B), Russia (European) (B), Saudi Arabia, Serbia (NB), Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (NB), Slovenia (NB), South Korea, Spain (NB), St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Pierre and Miquelon (B) (NB) (P), St Vincent and The Grenadines, Suriname, Sweden (B) (NB), Switzerland (NB), Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey (NB), Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Ukraine (NB) (P), United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (B) (NB), USA (B), Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (British) (NB), Virgin Islands (U.S.) (NB).

Vagrant to Bahrain, Bhutan, Greenland, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Malta, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Senegal, Sudan, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Thailand, Yemen.

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is 1,300,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Small birds.

Voice
Usually silent. A shrill 'kek-kek-kek-kek' uttered near the nesting site, especially when agitated or fending off intruders.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (116)...)

Merlin (Falco columbarius) [XC610279]
by Irish Wildlife Sounds from Unorganized Yukon, Yukon, Yukon, Canada (call)

Merlin (Falco columbarius) [XC157463]
by Micah Riegner from Foam Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada (call)

Nest
On the ground, in heather or bracken, sometimes in an old crows nest in a low tree.

Eggs (Guide)
4 - 5; cream with heavy red-brown freckles; ellipsoidal. Incubation: about 30 days; by both sexes.

Subspecies
Has been allied with Red-headed Falcon (Falco chicquera), but no clear relationship.

The following 9 subspecies are recognised:

subaesalon Brehm, CL, 1827 - Iceland.
aesalon Tunstall, 1771 - Northern Eurasia, from Faeroes east to central Siberia.
insignis (Clark, AH, 1907) - Siberia, east of R Yenisey to R Kolyma.
pacificus (Stegmann, 1929) - Soviet Far east, including Sakhalin I.
pallidus (Sushkin, 1900) - Steppes of Asia, from near Aral Sea to Altai Mts.
lymani Bangs, 1913 - Mountains of central Asia, in Turkestan, eastern Russia, north-western China and Mongolia.
suckleyi Ridgway, 1874 - Pacific coast of North America, from Alaska and British Columbia to northern Washington.
columbarius Linnaeus, 1758 - North America, except Pacific coast and Great Plains.
richardsonii Ridgway, 1871 - Great Plains of North America, from central Alberta south to Wyoming.

References
See References.

The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7

Files:

JPG files for Merlin (Falco columbarius) - 10 files

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BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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