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 _________________________________________________________________ All-in-one security and maintenance for your PC. Get a free 90-day trial! http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwlo0050000002msn/direct/01/?href=http://clk .atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwlo0050000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://www.windowson ecare.com/?sc_cid=msn_hotmail ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]