A Small Falcon Gets a Second Chance

Merlins (Falco columbarius) are an uncommon sight in Davis. These small, stocky falcons breed in the boreal regions of North America, scattered across the northernmost forested parts of the continental United States during their summer breeding season. They only pass through California during a partial winter migration, in which some individuals (and some subspecies) may remain close to their summer ranges while others travel far south, a subset of them even passing south of the U.S.-Mexico border. Due to this strictly seasonal, irregular transit through California, Merlins rarely end up in the care of the California Raptor Center. On average, the California Raptor Center may receive a Merlin patient once every five to ten years—not a frequent occurrence!

One of these rare cases came to the CRC when, on November 6th, 2018, a Good Samaritan found an injured Merlin at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento. The finder brought the bird to the California Raptor Center, where staff discovered that the small falcon was alert, robust, and strong, but suffering from what appeared to be a fractured left wing. Radiographs at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital confirmed a closed left ulnar fracture. Because of the injury’s location and relatively simple nature, veterinarians believed the bird stood a good chance of healing well enough to return to the wild, so they stabilized the Merlin’s wing with a wrap and discharged the bird to recuperate at the California Raptor Center.

For a number of CRC volunteers, this was their first time seeing a Merlin in person, and many were surprised by the bird’s small size. Though the Merlin’s stout proportions were similar to those of larger falcon species, it was about the same size and weight as the CRC’s resident American Kestrels. And like other types of falcon, the bird was feisty and vocal. The Merlin healed well, quickly graduating from a wing wrap and small hospital cage into a larger outdoor flight pen.

Radiograph re-checks in December showed an appropriately healed wing with a nearly complete bony callus. The Merlin was deftly maneuvering in the flight cage, flying vigorously and well. All signs indicated that the bird was ready to go, so on December 19th, 2018, the Merlin was banded and released to continue its winter travels (see video). The CRC wishes a bon voyage and good luck to its rare patient!