Taiga Merlin
Falco columbarius columbarius Linnaeus, 1758
Photo © By Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith - Merlin (Falco columbarius richardsonii), CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40574529
Sub-species
STATUS
Alaska to Newfoundland to northern USA.
OVERVIEW
An Icelandic fledged bird from July 1990 made it to Beachy Head, East Sussex, in October, and so the possibility of a Nearctic Merlin reaching these shores is possible.
NOT PROVEN
0). Pre 1885 Sussex No locality, undated, now at BMNH 1885.8.19.2482.
(BOURC (1992), Ibis 134: 380-381).
[BOURC (1992), Ibis 134: 380-381].
History BOURC (1992) in The Ibis, Vol. CXXXIV. p. 381, says: 'An adult male was discovered recently by W. S. Clark and N. J. Schmitt and is from the Hume Collection, BMNH 1885.8.19.2482. It is an ex-mount, carrying an early label with the inscription "English, Sussex." There is no date but the registration number indicates it was collected in or prior to 1885, when it was acquired by the Museum and registered. The Hume Collection consists of several thousand birds almost exclusively from India, although there are a (very) few other British raptors. While the information now associated with this Merlin may indeed be correct, the data are scanty and there is no additional evidence to support the record. Bearing in mind that it is also an ex-mount, the record is not considered to be acceptable.'
0). 1920 Outer Hebrides South Uist, adult male, obtained, 11th November, now at BMNH 1965M.1478.
(R. Meinertzhagen, Ibis 1934: 58; W. B. Alexander & R. S. R. Fitter, British Birds 48: 6; E. V. Baxter, Scottish Naturalist 69: 38; Ibis 95: 365; E. V. Baxter, Scottish Birds 1: 119).
[BOURC (1993), Ibis 135: 495].
History R. Meinertzhagen (1934) in The Ibis, Vol. LXXVI. pp. 58-59, says: 'A very dark adult Merlin with dark tail-bars, and typical of the American form, was shot in South Uist on 11 November, 1930. Knowing the tendency of Hebridean birds to darker pigmentation, and also suspecting that the specimen might be aberrant, not much attention was paid to a single specimen, for I hoped to be able to secure more. I have since seen a South Uist bird, which differs in no way from Scottish birds. By accident I discovered that my dark bird was identical in colour and tail-barring with American specimens. The question arises, is it a migrant from America or merely an aberrant individual resembling the American form? The evidence is in favour of the latter, as the outer pair of primaries are still in quill. It is well known that wing-moult among migrants is of great rarity, and though my specimen exactly resembles the American. bird, I hesitate to accept it as an American-born bird. On the other hand, the specimen in question hits no doubt suffered from a delayed moult, and if it is an American-born bird it may have delayed migration owing to incomplete moult, and the fact that the primaries are not yet grown to their full extent might have induced the bird to take advantage of an assisted passage on a ship. Altogether a most unsatisfactory specimen.'
W. B. Alexander & R. S. R. Fitter (1955) in British Birds, Vol. XLVIII. p. 6, say: 'This bird was at first thought to be an aberrant of the European race of the Merlin, but is now considered to be referable to the typical race (Meinertzhagen and Williamson, 1953).'
Comment Meinertzhagen has been discredited over many instances and is considered unreliable (A. G. Knox, Ibis 135: 320-325) .
