Merlin

Falco columbarius pallidus (Sushkin, 1900)

		male female
2013-05-04 Aktubek v., Karaganda oblast' 2013-06-14 Pavlodar Area, Aidarshi	© Ruslan Urazaliyev © Oleg Lyakhov

Description

The lightest and quite large subspecies. The male’s upper parts are pale-grey with buffy edges of feathers. Head is clay-reddish with narrow dark streaks. Under parts are whitish or pale-buffy with pattern formed by the very narrow streaks. Tail feathers are light grey with lack or very faint defined bars. The female’s upper parts are pale-sandy or clay-reddish with broad buffy bars. Under parts are light with pale-brown narrow streaks pattern. Male wing length 206-214 (210), female 208-233 (223) mm.

Distribution

Breeds in steppe areas from Ural valley eastward to foothills of Altai, in south to Urkach in Mugodzhary ridge. On migration occurs everywhere. Probably the winter observations on Syrdarya, in Chimkent and Ile valley related to birds of this subspecies.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000. Г.П.Дементьев, Н.А.Гладков, Е.С.Птушенко, Е.П.Спангенберг, А.М.Судиловская. "Птицы Советского Союза" Том I. Москва, 1951.