Greetings All

I am at work and, alas, can not wade in as fully as I'd like to.
It should be noted that phenotypically "typical" Prairie Merlins have previously been photographed in WA, including one at the outskirts of Edison last year.

The ID of several of these birds have been verified by both Jerry Ligouri and Brian Wheeler, and I'd suggest a study of Wheeler's raptor book of w. North America for a suite of identification tips.

Yes, like all subspecies, and some species that hybridize regularly (eg, RN and RB Sapsuckers), caution must be used to try to weed out intergrades/hybrids. This does not mean that the taxa involved can not be identified with a reasonable degree of certainty.

Also of interest is a specimen of a Prairie Merlin, at the Slater Museum, from Skagit County brought there by a falconer who knows his hawk ID well.

Best Wishes
Steven Mlodinow