Merlin

Falco columbarius

Photo by J_K

Description

Location: Seaton Snook common , Seaton Carew

Identification

Merlin Falco columbarius RANGE North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa and northern Asia. Breeds over most of Alaska and Canada south of the tree-line and in the north-west and north-central USA. Winters from south-west Canada, the western and southern USA south through Mexico to Panama, in the West Indies and the northern coast of South America. Vagrant south to Bahia, Brazil.

In Europe breeds in Iceland and the Faroes, throughout northern Scandinavia, sporadically in the Baltic States and widespread across northern Russia. Also very patchily in the uplands of the north and west British Isles although now extremely rare in south-west England. Dispersive in south-west Iceland and the British Isles, but elsewhere a summer visitor. Autumn movements take place mainly in September-October with the spring return in April-May. Winters in coastal Britain, Denmark and southern Sweden south to the Mediterranean, on some of the larger islands and in North Africa. Recorded as a vagrant north to Svalbard and south to Madeira and the Canary Islands.

Occurs across northern Asia from the Urals east to the Pacific coast of Russia and Sakhalin and ranges south to the Tien Shan Mts in Central Asia. Winters from the Middle East to the Himalayas, northern Indochina, China and Japan. A vagrant to Oman and Yemen.

HABITAT Breeds on moorland and heaths, tundra and boreal forest-edge. In winter on coastal farmland, marshes and other open habitats.

SUBSPECIES Eight races are usually recognised: columbarius, the Taiga Merlin, in Alaska and northern Canada, suckleyi from British Columbia to northern California and richardsonii in the Great Plains. The large and dark F.c.subaesalon breeds in Iceland and the Faroes and winters in the British Isles, rarely on European coasts from Norway to France, aesalon breeds from Europe to western Siberia and the paler insignis breeds in eastern Siberia and winters in Japan and China. Another pale race pallidus breeds in west-central Asia, lymani in the eastern Altai, Tien Shan and western China.

Bird Song

<flashmp3>Falco columbarius (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

External Links

Search for photos of Merlin in the gallery