FALCONS 
147 
357. Pigeon Hawk. American merlin, le faucon emerillon d’amIcrique. Falco 
columbarius. L, 10. A small falcon, very similar in size and coloration to the Sharp- 
shinned Hawk. Adult male: back, pale slate blue 
(almost gull-blue), dark slate, or bluish black, shaft- 
streaked with black. Tail, barred with the same blue, 
and with black in varying proportions. Below, white 
or cream more or less heavily streaked with ochre 
and brown, heaviest and darkest on flanks. Throat, 
pure, or nearly pure, white, immaculate or nearly so. 
Thighs, strongly tinged with warm buff, more or less 
brown streaked. 
Adult female resembles the juvenile, with some- 
times an approach to the blue back of the male. 
Juvenile: back brown or sandy brown, to nearly 
black, slightly shaft- streaked. Tail, uniform dark, 
or barred with dark of back and greyish or buffy- 
white, the dark areas being wider than the light. 
Below, cream or deep buff, more or less heavily 
streaked with dark or sandy brown. Throat, light 
to white, sometimes immaculate, usually sparsely 
streaked. 
Distinctions. Recognized as a falcon by pointed 
wings anil toothed bill (Figures 210 and 211). Dis- 
tinguished from other falcons except Sparrow Hawk 
by smaller size. Easily separated from that species 
by extensive entirely different coloration, especially the 
absence of any red (Compare with Plate XVII A). 
Field Marks. By small size, to be confused only with the Sparrow Hawk and the 
Sharp-shinned. Separated from the former by habits, habitat, and lack of extensive red in 
plumage, and from the latter by pointed instead 
of rounded wings, and falcon-like outline and 
action (similar to Figure 215, compare with 
180). 
Distribution. Northern North America. In 
winter, as far south as northern South America. 
In Canada, across the continent, north to tree 
limit. 
SUBSPECIES. The Pigeon Hawk is 
divided into four geographical races. The 
Eastern Pigeon Hawk (le Faucon dmerillon de 
l’Est) Falco columbarius columbarius is the med- 
ium dark bird, breeding in the forest sections 
throughout eastern Canada. Richardson’s Mer- 
lin (le Faucon emerillon de Richardson) Falco 
columbarius richardsoni is a pale extreme nest- 
ing on the prairies; the Black Merlin (lc 
Faucon emcTillon noir) Falco columbarius suckleyi is a dark form of the west coast. In 
migration, both Richardson’s and the Black Merlin occasionally wander into the interior 
valleys of southern British Columbia, and the Eastern Pigeon Hawk occurs commonly 
within the ranges of both the others. Another race, Falco columbarius bendirei, the Western 
Pigeon Hawk (le Faucon Emerillon de 1’Ouest), has been postulated for British Columbia 
interior and the northwest. 
Figure 216 
Pigeon Hawk (adult male); 
scale, L 
Figure 217 
First primaries of Pigeon Hawks; 
scale, 
a, Common Pigeon Hawk and Richardson’s 
Merlin. 
b. Black Merlin. 
Richardsorrs Merlin is very distinct from the Eastern subspecies, 
being very considerably paler and more like the Old World Merlin Falco 
aesalon than the Eastern Pigeon Hawk Falco columbarius columbarius. The 
blue of the back of the adult male may be described as gull-blue, being the 
same pearly shade as the mantle of some of those birds. Below, the strip- 
ings are pale, rather soft instead of sharp, and the white or cream ground 
plainly predominates. The back of the juvenile is light brown with blended 
rusty-ochre feather edges, giving a soft colour-effect like wet sand, instead 
of dark mud. Although the distinction from columbarius is not so great 
