The SUBSPECIES and MIGRATION PATTERNS Of MERLINS
(Falco columbarius)
LOCAL EXPERT: BILL BOUSMAN
I keep a summary file of Santa Clara County rarities. This file also includes unusual dates and rare subspecies. I've attached my records below for the suckleyi and richardsonii subspecies of Merlin. By the way this file may not be particularly current as my filing system is somewhat spasmodic.I couldn't agree more with Brian Walton's editorial on subspecific identification. I think the suckleyi ID is particularly difficult and, as he points out, this tends to be a less widespread wintering bird. I have had dynamite scope views of dark columbarius/suckleyi and just sat there in frustration without being able to convince myself. The suckleyi records shown below, for the most part, lack any evidence of the observation and may best be dismissed. I think with good looks, however, most richardsonii can be identified--nominal birds are quite striking.
MERL Merlin (suckleyi)
3/3/33 1; found dead along the Guadalupe River, 1.5 miles
northwest of San Jose [McLean, D. B. 1936. Some notable records of birds from California. Condor 38:16-17]
4/11/33 1 f; collected at Cold Flats, 16 mi. southeast of Mt. Hamilton [McLean, D. B. 1936. Some notable records of birds from California. Condor 38:16-17]
2/13/34 1 specimen, 8 mi. west of Gilroy [Grinnell and Miller, 1944]
9/27/80 1 'dark phase'; Silver Creek area (Joe Atkinson)
3/18/87 1 f; Moffett Field (Bill Bousman)
12/29/88 1 f; Almaden Expy and Winfield Blvd (David Suddjian)
2/17/89 1 f; Henry Coe SP (James Yurchenco, Amy Lauterbach)
2/21/89 1; Arastradero Preserve (Grant & Karen Hoyt)
2/10/93-2/16/93 1; Mountain View (Mike Rogers)
2/27/93 1; Sunnyvale WPCP (Peter Metropulos, Al DeMartini)
9/14/94 1?; Coyote Creek below Hwy 237 (Steve Rottenborn)
3/3/95 1; San Francisquito Creek above Middlefield, Palo Alto (Steve Rottenborn)
10/27/96 1; Coyote Creek below Hwy 237, no pattern visible because of dark color (Alvaro Jaramillo)
1/14/97 1; Tasso near Palo Alto Ave., Palo Alto (Mike Rogers)
MERL Merlin (richardsoni)
12/19/84 1 m; San Antonio Valley (Bill Bousman, April Durran)
11/22/87 1 f; Palo Alto Baylands (Ron Thorn {description}, Joe Morlan, Edward D. Greaves) [Am. Birds 42:129]
11/18/88 1 f/imm; Mountain View Forebay (Derek Currall)
11/5/89 - 4/17/90 1 m; Mountain View (Mike Rogers, photo)
11/30/89 & 1/17/90 1 f; Moffett Field (Mike Rogers)
4/12/90 1 m; Moffett Field, different from Mountain View bird (Mike Rogers)
11/13/90 - 4/5/91 1 m; Mountain View, second winter (Mike Rogers)
10/2/91 1; downtown Los Altos (Paul Noble)
1/13/92 - 2/21/92 1 m; Mountain View, third winter (Mike Rogers)
12/28/92 1 m, San Antonio Valley (Bill Bousman)
1/26/93 1 m, Mountain View, fourth winter (Mike Rogers, 4/13/93 photo)
10/24/93 1 m, Alviso Slough (Steve & Heather Rottenborn)
1/2/95 1 m, Mountain View, fifth winter (Mike Rogers)
3/22/96 1 m; Coyote Creek below Hwy 237 (Steve Rottenborn)