BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Merlin

MERLIN
Falco columbarius

Merlin © G H Higginbotham

Conservation listings

Europe: no SPEC category (favourable conservation status in Europe, not concentrated in Europe)
UK: amber (historical decline)

Long-term trend

UK: probable increase

Distribution maps

Maps and statistics from British and Irish
atlases can be viewed here.

Status summary

Having declined substantially over the past two centuries, Merlin shows indications of a recent doubling of population (Rebecca & Bainbridge 1998, DETR 2000). This increase may be associated with an increased use of forest edge as a nesting habitat (Parr 1994). Because of its recent population upturn, the species has been moved from the red to the amber list. Breeding performance has tended to improve since the 1960s, probably linked to the declining influence of organochlorine pesticides (Crick 1993).

Annual breeding population changes for this species
are not currently monitored by BTO

Table of productivity information for Merlin

Variable Period
(yrs) Years Mean
annual
sample Trend Predicted
in first year Predicted
in last year Change Comment

Clutch size 34 1968-2002 40 None

Brood size 34 1968-2002 57 Linear increase 3.5 chicks 3.78 chicks 0.28 chicks

Daily failure rate (eggs) 34 1968-2002 28 Linear decline 0.0071 nests/day 0.0025 nests/day -0.0046 nests/day Small sample

Daily failure rate (chicks) 34 1968-2002 30 Linear decline 0.0103 nests/day 0.0025 nests/day -0.0078 nests/day Small sample

Insufficient data on laying date
available for this species

Insufficient data on CES
available for this species


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This report should be cited as: Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Crick, H.Q.P., Noble, D.G., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Coombes, R.H., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. and Thewlis, R.M. (2005) Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2004. BTO Research Report No. 385. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends) Pages maintained by Susan Waghorn and Iain Downie: Last updated 18 January, 2006