Hi all,
Interesting questions on bird names, and thanks to John Blakeman for his
earlier post about "Sparrow Hawks". I also wanted to make mention of
something else regarding American Kestrels. Birders should really keep an
eye on them, and record numbers seen. A lot of us keep field notes and
record our observations, which help to provide a valuable record of bird
population trends over time. If you do keep such records - and if you don't,
give it a try - American Kestrel should go in the must-record category and
all observations should be tallied. Ohio has three journals to which
observations can be sent; the Ohio Cardinal, Bobolink, and Cleveland Bird
Calendar. Info about them can be found on the OOS website at
www.ohiobirds.org
Our smallest falcons have plummeted precipitously in much of the upper
Midwest and Northeast, unfortunately. In the past month or so, I've noticed
more of them in my wanderings around Ohio, but these are birds that have for
the most part probably moved into the state following a post-breeding
dispersal from other areas. But, I still haven't seen many, and the species
is quickly becoming one that stands out to me because there has been such an
apparent drop in their numbers. On trips this summer, covering long
distances throughout Ohio, I would often see zero kestrels, or only one to a
few.
People in other states up this way are worried about disappearing kestrels,
too, particularly in the NE states. Part of the problem is the fact that
kestrels are unusual in their breeding ecology in that they require cavities
to nest in, and that places yet another burden on them, in addition to the
big one of HABITAT LOSS. A few states are trying to work with their
Departments of Transportation to erect nest box "trails" along highways, and
maybe that's something we should look at here. It would be a shame to see
such a cool little raptor become a rarity.
About the Merlin, or "Pigeon Hawk". It was actually officially known as the
latter for longer than its current name, and the American Ornithologists'
Union didn't switch to Merlin until 1983. The reason for the former name
Pigeon Hawk is not due to a propensity to plunder Rock Pigeons; it is
because these medium-sized stocky falcons resemble pigeons in flight.
Jim McCormac
Columbus, Ohio
-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Paula
Lozano
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 9:18 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Ohio-birds] Pigeon Hawk?
Reading Steve Cagan's posting about a Cooper's Hawk strafing a group of
pigeons reminded me of at least two instances when I observed Cooper's Hawks
catching and eating pigeons. In addition, it made me wonder what the
historical "Pigeon Hawk" was. The answer - Merlin, Falco columbarius -
surprised me! Does anyone have an explanation for this name?
Paula Lozano
Lakewood, Ohio
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