We have merlins!

You may know the location of Bigelow Park, on the near east side of Olympia. Last summer, while walking by the park in the early evening, my always handy Merlin app had an unexpected hit — it said it heard a merlin vocalization.  

I was skeptical. Merlins are small falcons, larger than a robin but smaller than a crow. Like all the falcons, they prey on other birds, usually taking them on the wing using their superior flying speed. I was under the impression that merlins in the Pacific Northwest were uncommon breeding birds, occurring mostly in coastal areas and river corridors.  

This year merlins are again being heard in the Bigelow Park area, and even though I didn’t hear or see the bird, I had to follow up. Could Olympia actually have breeding merlins? 

A merlin.

Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT

The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology reports that in recent years merlins are increasingly breeding in towns and cities. It seems that they are taking over crow nests in tall conifers found in residential areas and parks. Bingo! 

I recently talked with someone who lives near the park about merlins. She reports that she has seen them on occasion, and heard them more often. She actually watched one consuming its prey from the top of a nearby cedar tree. Others report that they are hearing juvenile merlins calling their parents, begging to be fed. 

If you want to spot a merlin, here’s what to look for: First, don’t depend on routine bird books. They generally portray merlins as light colored, with steel blue backs and bold face markings. Our birds, in contrast, are a dark brown/black with a heavily streaked breast and faint or no face markings.  

A Merlin up close.

Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT

These birds are fast and powerful predators, able to easily take a pigeon (accounting for their old-fashioned name, “pigeon hawk”). Their bold flight pattern and sharply pointed wings might be the first thing you notice. They have a shrill, chattering call and, of course, the Merlin app can assist you with this vocal identification. I recommend that you believe the app. 

Merlins are widespread through the Northern Hemisphere and were widely kept as hunting falcons in Europe in medieval times. The common English name comes from the French name for the bird "esmerillon."  

My inquiries also yielded the information that there may be a second breeding pair in west Olympia, and possibly a third pair in south Olympia. “Heard a merlin on Merlin” could become a common expression used by Olympia bird watchers. (The name of the app, incidentally, is reportedly a reference to Merlin the magician, not the bird.) 

Since this is a “breaking news” story (at least it is for me), perhaps readers will use the comments option to add to the observations or even add a photo or two. 

One thing seems certain: we need to add merlin to the list on unexpected Olympia breeding birds — a list certainly headed by the great blue heron rookery along Capital Way near Olympia Farmers Market. 

George Walter is environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s natural resources department; he also has a 45+ year interest in bird watching. He may be reached at george@theJOLTnews.com 

Photos for this column are provided by Liam Hutcheson, an 19-year-old Olympia area birder and avid photographer.