- Falco columbarius
In North America erroneously called "Pigeon Hawk".
Identification
Smallish falcon. Approximately 10-13 inches in length. Pointed wings, less distinguishable facial stripe than most falcons, just a slightly darker slash.
Male is gunmetal-blue above, with streaked underparts
Female is brownish, as is juvenile.
Pacific Coast "Black" or "Suckley's" Merlins are very dark, while the "Richardson's" prairie Merlin is noticeably paler than the other subspecies.
Distribution
Generally breeds in the northern hemisphere, with some populations almost resident while others migrate south in winter. From North America there is migration to the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America, while European birds migrate to southern Europe and Africa north of Sahara. Also occur in northern Asia.
Taxonomy
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.
There have been proposals to split the North American group from the European group, as they have more than 2% sequence divergence.
Habitat
Moorland and heaths, tundra and boreal forest-edge.
Behaviour
The most important food is small birds which are generally caught in flight.
Especially the American Merlins are known for their aggressive behavior, even during migration going out of their way to mob larger birds of prey.
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Falco columbarius (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
External Links
Reference
Wink et al. Molecular systematics of holarctic raptors (Order Falconiformes). In: Chancellor et al. (eds.): Holarctic Birds of Prey: 29-48. http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/institute/fak14/ipmb/phazb/pubwink/1998/31.%201998.pdf
