The idea that Merlins take only House Sparrows and Starlings is somewhere
between
pure hogwash and wishful thinking. More on a par with My outdoor cat doesn't
harm
birds than reality. Perhaps the relationship to these two species comes from
the
fact that they are the only two bird species allowed as bait in trapping/banding
studies.
In fact, Merlins will take any small passerine and appear to enjoy toying with
their
intended meal. What prey remains studies we've seen indicate a wide variety of
passerines were consumed. Much of the flight characteristics observed of
Merlins is
oriented around their in flight maneuvers around prey. At Cape May Pt., we were
constantly awed and amazed by the antics of these little Blue Jacks and their
heftier, brown female counterparts. There's some wonderful footage taken at a
Cape
May blind in the early 80s that I hope makes it to YouTube one of these days.
A Rock Dove or Mourning Dove would be very unusual prey for a Merlin and, unless
ill, too heavy for a Merlin to move very far.
J
--
John and Sue Gregoire
Field Ornithologists
Kestrel Haven Avian Migration Observatory
5373 Fitzgerald Road
Burdett,NY 14818-9626
Website: http://www.empacc.net/~kestrelhaven/
Conserve and Create Habitat
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