Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Merlin (Falco columbarius)

Abundance: Very Uncommon to Uncommon during fall and winter; Very Uncommon during spring; at least 63 Regional records in 18 counties, 6 in Kentucky and 12 in Tennessee (Map of UCR Distribution); data from the Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to determine a reliable trend in the population migrating through, or wintering in, the Region, but the continental trend from BBS data for this falcon has been significantly positive since the early 1990s (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Winter Resident; at least 31 records during fall, one of which overlaps with a winter record; 26 records during winter, one of which overlaps with a fall record; and 7 records during spring; overall, much more evident as a fall migrant and a winter resident than as a spring migrant; photographs (see links below).

Regional High Count: 2 (2 records below).

Information on Records: 

20 April 1980 (1—age and sex unspecified) Brigadoon Farm, Barren County, Kentucky (Russell Starr; Stamm 1980c).

23 October 1985 (1—age and sex unspecified) Lovelady, Pickett County, Tennessee (Robbie C. Hassler; Stedman 1986a). 

11 January 1986 (1—age and sex unspecified) Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (Russell Starr; Stamm 1986b).

24 September 1987 (1—age and sex unspecified) Cookeville Fire Tower, Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman; Stedman 1993).

30 December 1987 (1—age and sex unspecified) Smith County, Tennessee (Ruth V. McMillan, Melissa A. [Tucker] Turrentine; Stedman 1987c).

21 October 1989 (1—age and sex unspecified) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993).

20 September 1991 (1—age and sex unspecified) Hidden Cove Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993).

1 April 1993 (1—age and sex unspecified) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993).

20 September 1993 (1—age and sex unspecified) ponds 11 km east of Monterey on Rt. 62, Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman).

22 October 1994 (1—female or immature) near Granville, Jackson County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman et al.).

6 October 1995 (1—age and sex unspecified) Rt. 52 east of Rugby, Scott County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman and Stedman 2002).

21 October 1995 (1—age and sex unspecified) Cumberland County, Tennessee (Fred J. Alsop, James M. Campbell; Knight 1996a).

27 January 1996 (1—age and sex unspecified) Bledsoe County, Tennessee (R. John Henderson; Knight 1996b).

15 April 1998 (1—age and sex unspecified) Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer; Busroe 1998c).

30 September 1998 (1—age and sex unspecified) Cane Creek Park, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Ginger K. Ensor, Michael Breen; Fekel 1999a).

20 December 1999 (1—age and sex unspecified) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Casteel 2000a), a CBC record [count week only].

5 February 2000 (1—age and sex unspecified) Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Busroe 2000b).

6 December 2002 (1—adult male) Old Mill Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Casteel 2003b).

8 & 11 December 2002 (1—age and sex unspecified) Pulaski County, Kentucky  (Roseanna M. Denton; Busroe 2003b).   

12/13 January 2003 (1/2—age and sex unspecified) Ano strip mines, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton et al.; Busroe 2003b)

2 October 2003 (2—age and sex unspecified) Lake Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

20 December 2003 (1—age and sex unspecified) Ano strip mines, Pulaski County, Kentucky   (Roseanna M. Denton). 

28, 30–31 December 2003/10 February 2004 (1—age and sex unspecified) Student's Home Rd., DeKalb County, Tennessee (Judy C. Fuson photo [30 December]; Casteel 2004b), a CBC record.

3 September 2004 (1—age and sex unspecified) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo).

24 September 2004 (1—age and sex unspecified) Ano strip mines, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton)

10 October 2004 (1—age and sex unspecified) Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness, White County, Tennessee  (Richard L. Knight, Winston A. Walden et al.).

16 October 2004 (1—adult male) southern Adair County, Kentucky  (Stephen J. Stedman, Winston A. Walden; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2005a).

2 March 2005 (1—female or immature) Campground Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman).  

25 April 2005 (1—age and sex unspecified) Obed Junction, Obed Wild and Scenic River, Morgan County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman).

17 September 2005 (1—female or immature) near Brotherton, Putnam County, Tennessee (Winston A. Walden, Michael P. O'Rourke, Tom Saya), a Fall Bird Count record.

27 September 2005 (1—age and sex unspecified) Burnside Marina, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2006a).

4 December 2005 (1—age and sex unspecified) Plateau Rd., Cumberland County, Tennessee (Joseph E. Mast photo, Anita F. Mast).

5 December 2005 (1—adult male) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2006b).

17 December 2005 (1—female or immature) eastern Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2006b), photo.

19 March 2006 (1—female or immature) Indian Creek Recreation Area, Smith County, Tennessee (Winston A. Walden).

21 September 2006 (1—age and sex unspecified) Fishing Creek, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

21 November 2006 (1—age and sex unspecified) Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).

30 December 2006 (1—male) Racetrack Rd., Pulaski County, Kentucky (Lynda M. Mills, Thomas B. Mills, Granville Cox, James Kiser; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2007b), a CBC record.

19 February 2007 (1—age and sex unspecified) Mark Wellborn Rd., Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2007b).

17 October 2007 (1—age and sex unspecified) near Leffle Webb Rd., Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand).

23/26 October 2007 (1—male) Sawyer's Landing, Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer/David L. Roemer, T. Aaron Hulsey).

17 November 2007 (1—immature or female) Lake Tansi, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand, Joseph E. Mast).

3 January & 29 February 2008 (1—female or immature) Cooley's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo), a CBC record (first sighting).

16 and 24 February 2008 (1—female or immature) Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton), a Great Backyard Bird Count record (first date).

27 September 2008 (1—probable female or immature) Eagle Point, Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park, Cumberland County/marina, Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park, Clinton County, Kentucky (Brainard Palmer-Ball et al./Don Martin).

12 November/15 December 2008 (1/1—unspecified age and sex/male) Lake Hiawatha, Cumberland County, Tennessee (DJ Stanley/DJ Stanley photo, Joseph E. Mast).

27 December 2008 (1—female or immature) DeKalb County, Tennessee (Winston A. Walden, Catherine E. Walden), a CBC record.

3 January 2009 (1/1—females or immatures) Warren County, Tennessee (Winston A. Walden, Michael P. O'Rourke/Judy C. Fuson, Nancy S. Layzer, Carol D. Williams), CBC records.

13 October 2009 (1—unspecified age and sex) Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer, David Brown).

29 November 2009 (1—female or immature) Lake Hiawatha, Cumberland County, Tennessee (DJ Stanley photo).

1 December 2009 (1—female or immature) Allen's Ferry Rd., DeKalb County, Tennessee (Michael J. Hawkins).

21 December 2009 (1—female or immature) Frank's Ferry Rd., White County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand, Scott G. Somershoe), a CBC record.

3 January 2010 (1—female or immature) Pumphrey Tract, Buck Creek Nature Preserve, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton, Steve Denton).

4 March 2010 (1) Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand; Knight 2010c).

18 September 2010 (1—unspecified age and sex) eastern White County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand).

24 September/3/24 October 2010 (1/1—male/1) Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer), the birds involved in these reports were probably not the same individual.

16 December 2010 (1—female or immature) Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton), a CBC record.

18 December 2010 (1—unknown age and sex) near Southern Hills Golf Course, Putnam County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand, Daniel L. Combs), a CBC record.

4 January 2011 (1—unknown age and sex) Vervilla, Warren County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman photo), a CBC record.

3 October 2011 (1—unknown age and sex) Dry Creek Unit, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer, Stephen J. Stedman).

2/29 October 2011 (1—unknown age and sex) Edgar Evins State Park, DeKalb County, Tennessee (Mark Taylor and Holly Taylor).

19 November 2011 (2—immatures or females) Nicholson Rd., Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand).

6 February 2012 (1—unknown age and sex) southeastern Fentress County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Edmund K. LeGrand).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Fall Arrival: 3 September 2004 (Pulaski County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton).

    Late Spring Departure: 25 April 2005 (Morgan County, Tennessee; Barbara H. Stedman).

Habitat: Large open areas, often in agricultural settings, but not exclusively; sometimes present opportunistically where prey species congregate, such as shorebird concentration points (e. g., the Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Pulaski County, Kentucky).

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: Registered on 1 (of 125 possible) monthly check-list during 2003 and on 1 (of 206 possible) check-list during 2004, indicating that this fine falcon is Rare in Regional yards and neighborhoods.

Remarks: Increasing, or better reported, as a migrant and especially as a winter resident during the past two decades.  A few records indicate prolonged attendance near one location during late fall and winter.

Check-lists of Birds for the Counties of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of each county of the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed by clicking on the links below. For each county, there are two check-lists: one list that shows the species that have been observed and where possible documented in the county within the larger list for the entire Region; and one list that includes only the species observed in the county with annotations for the date and observers for at least one sighting (the ultimate goal of the latter list will be to include annotations for the very first known Regional observation of each species in that county; this goal is probably one that will take many years to complete, if completion is even a possibility). To see if the species discussed in this species account has been observed in a county, click below or click on the link for the Map of UCR Distribution near the top of the page.

Check-lists of Birds for Some Public Access Birding Sites of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of some public access birding sites within the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed via the links below. To see if the species dealt with in this species account has been observed within any of these sites, click on the appropriate link below. See the pages for each county within the Gazetteer for links to additional smaller public access birding sites with check-lists in progress.

Literature Cited