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MERLIN
Falco columbarius

Merlin © G H Higginbotham
 

• Population
  changes

• Productivity
  trends

• Additional
  information
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
UK population size
1,300 pairs in 1990–94 (Rebecca & Bainbridge 1998: BiE04, APEP06); 1,160 (912–1,532) pairs in 2008 (Holling & RBBP 2010b)
Status summary
Having declined substantially over the past two centuries, Merlin shows indications of a recent doubling of population (Rebecca & Bainbridge 1998). This increase may be associated with an increased use of forest edge as a nesting habitat (Parr 1994, Little et al. 1995). Because of its recent population upturn, the species was moved from the red to the amber list in 2002. It remains much too scarce, however, for annual population monitoring via BBS: dedicated observers and specialised field methods are required, as described by Hardey et al. (2009). Submissions to the Rare Breeding Birds Panel fall well short of the estimated UK total population but show an average of 1.86 young fledged per occupied territory during 1996–2004 (Holling & RBBP 2007a). Breeding performance has tended to improve since the 1960s, probably linked to the declining influence of organochlorine pesticides (Crick 1993). Hatching rates in the southeast Yorkshire Dales were consistently higher than had been recorded in earlier studies in Northumberland (Wright 2005). A repeat survey of Merlin's British breeding status undertaken in 2008 found a non-significant decline of around 13% since the previous survey in 1993–94, with decline most noticeable in England (Holling & RBBP 2010b).
 
Population changes in detail
 
Demographic trends
 
Additional information
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This report should be cited as: Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Leech, D.I., Renwick, A.R., Joys, A.C., Noble, D.G., Barimore, C., Conway, G.J., Downie, I.S., Risely, K. & Robinson, R.A. (2010). Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2010. BTO Research Report No. 565. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

Pages maintained by Iain Downie, Mandy T Andrews and Laura Smith: Last updated 12.10.2010