Subject: Merlin questions by Dakota
Date: Mar 02 04:05:01 1996
From: "CHRISTINE W. MAACK" - 73201.3124 at compuserve.com


Dakota, you had some good questions about merlins. Sounds like you guys have
seen some good birds on your outings. I have a lot of notes about merlins so
that I can do educational programs showing a rehab merlin , which was shot in
the wing and is permanently grounded.

First, young merlins fly from the nest about 25 - 30 days after hatching. They
will still hang out in the same area their parents are in and beg food from the
parents for some weeks afterwards.

What size are merlins' territories? Let me quote you from a very handy book
called "Hawks in Flight" by Dunne, Sibley and Sutton: "Merlins are highly
aggressive, pugnacious raptors with little tolerance for other birds of prey.
They will go out of their way to harass a bird that crosses their territory or
occupies their airspace. Since Merlins seem just as easily provoked during
migration as at any other time of year, a Merlin's territory may be inferred to
be wherever it happens to find itself." This probably also answers your question
about why the Cooper's Hawk beat a hasty retreat. I've seen a Merlin diving on a
Golden Eagle. The eagle tried to be cool and ignore it, it never
counter-attacked.

Merlins do not form long-term "marriages" like Bald Eagles. But they are thought
to be loyal to the site where they successfully nested in the past. This seems
to hold true for males more than for females. Anyway, the same male and female
that nested together might show up in the same general area for the next
breeding season and - who knows? Maybe that old magic will happen again.

Happy birding.

Chris Maack
Bird Treatment & Learning Center
Anchorage, AK
73201.3124 at compuserve.com