The Pigeon Hawks 



common summer resident, but as yet its nest and eggs have been rarely 

 taken, and even where they have been found, there remains more or less 

 doubt as to their proper identification, as the two closely allied forms, 

 Falco columbarius suckleyi and Falco richardsonii occur in some of these 

 mountains as well, and are very liable to be mistaken for the true Pigeon 

 Hawk, even by fairly well posted ornithologists, and almost certainly by 

 the average collector." (Bendire.) 



No. 32la Black Pigeon Hawk 



A. O. U, Xo. 357a. Falco columbarius suckleyi Ridgway. 



Synonyms. — Black Merlin. Suckley's Merlin. 



Description. — Adults: Similar to F. columbarius but much darker. Adult 

 male in high plumage: Above blackish slate, nearly black on hind-neck, definitely 

 black on lesser wing-coverts; pileum and occiput finely streaked with dusky; remaining 

 upper plumage sharply streaked by black shafts of feathers; flight-feathers black on 

 exposed surfaces, the white spotting plainly visible from below but much reduced in 

 extent; tail black above on exposed portion, narrowly tipped with white, below crossed 

 by three obsolescent white bars (appearing only on inner webs), the distal bar nearly 

 two inches from tip of tail; below as in F. columbarius, but streaks sharper, heavier, 

 and nearly uniform sooty black, the throat finely streaked throughout, the streaks 

 tending to confluence in "pencils"; tawny wash of sides, thighs, and flanks heavier. 

 Adult female, and male in more usual plumage: Above warm brownish black, the blue 

 present as a gloss but much reduced in intensity, tawny streaks on sides of neck tending 

 to invade nape; spotting of wings more extensive and strongly tawny- tinged; tail 

 crossed by four subterminal bars, of which two visible from above, white or tinged 

 with tawny; underparts more heavily tinged with tawny and streaks a little more 

 diffuse, heavier and tending to confluence on sides. Young: Changes as in F. colum- 

 barius but always darker. Size as in preceding. 



Recognition Marks. — Little hawk size; blackish or slaty above; throat finely 

 pencilled with black; underparts heavily streaked with black. 



Nesting. — Not known to breed in California. Nest: In high holes in trees. 

 Eggs: Not yet taken — presumably much like those of preceding form. 



General Range. — Pacific Coast district from northern California to Sitka, east 

 at least along eastern slopes of Cascades and Blue Mountains in Oregon and Wash- 

 ington. Possibly ranging farther north in winter. 



Occurrence in California. — Rare winter visitor; only two positive records: 

 Yreka, Siskiyou County, and Claremont, Los Angeles County, by J. F. Illingworth 

 (Dec. 6, 1895). 



Authorities. — Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway {Falco lithofalco, var. suckleyi), 

 Hist. N. Amer. Birds, vol. iii., 1874, p. 147 (Yreka); Merriam, U. S. Dept. Agric, N. 

 Amer. Fauna, no. 16, 1899, p. 113 (Mount Shasta); Willett, Pac. Coast Avifauna, no. 

 7, 1912, p-49 (Claremont, Los Angeles Co.). 



THE BLACK MERLIN, like the Pigeon Hawk proper, is a northern 

 species which occasionally straggles south in winter. Although there are 



