Taiga Merlin
Falco columbarius columbarius Linnaeus, 1758 (0, 1)
Photo © ALAN SCHMIERER, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sub-species
STATUS
Alaska to Newfoundland to northern USA.
OVERVIEW
Only being seen a couple of times during its two week stay but photographs displayed the distinctive pattern of tail-banding that is unique to the three Nearctic subspecies. It was thought to be the nominate form F. c. columbarius that migrates along the eastern seaboard of North America.
BBRC RECORD
1). 2018 Caithness Burnside, Scrabster, 2CY+, 3rd to 18th February, photo.
(British Birds 111: plate 89; BOURC (2020), Ibis 162: 600-603; R. W. Forrester, Scottish Birds 40: 213; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 113: 616; N. O'Hanlon & R. Hughes, British Birds 114: 30-33, plate 11).
