Merlin (Falco columbarius suckleyi), Tumacacori NHP, Santa Cruz County

This "Black" Merlin was found and photographed by Bill Lisowsky on 26 January 2015

This subspecies regularly occurs in the Pacific Northwest, it is locally regular south of there along the coast and in the Interior West as well as scattered reports elsewhere in the west. In Arizona in recent years there appears to be one previously photographed bird as well as several claimed sight reports. Older literature mentions a possible specimen (Monson and Phillips 1981) but this appears to be a specimen of the nominate subspecies.

Identification of Merlin subspecies is tricky and the extent to which they are field identifiable is debated. Recent published work has expressed doubt as to how field identifiablethey are (see Western Birds Vol 31-1 and Western Birds Vol 44-4) However guides on raptors suggest they are and as Bill Lisowsky writes: The obvious blackish overall coloration of the Merlin was strikingly obvious. My initial ID was of the F.c. suckleyi subspecies, and having never seen one, I consulted with several national experts that concurred with the identification. According to Brian Wheeler : "Undertail covert bars is a deciding feature I found on breeding birds on Alaskan Islands and British Columbia coastal and island region. The undertail coverts have a distinct dark bar on outer web: only found on this race. Head and underparts are dark, too. F. c. columbarius has a streak or diamond-shaped mark but never barred."

26 January 2015, photo by Bill Lisowsky

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