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Merlin? Tehran. IR (1 Viewer)

That's a really interesting bird to see in Tehran, are merlins seen there regularly at all? I've seen photos of peregrines (ssp. babylonicus - "red shaheens") perched on buildings in the city - always wondered if they are winter visitors, or whether there are resident pairs.

re: ID of the original poster's bird - I have seen very few merlins in the flesh (or should that be feather) but the shape and general impression of the bird seems all wrong for kestrel, which I do see a lot of. The latter should give an impression of being slimmer, especially around the chest/shoulders. Plus, if kestrels are as regularly seen in urban areas in Iran as they are elsewhere, the OP is probably familiar with them.
 
Hello Ali,

do you have more pictures?

First: I don't know, what it is, but I get a puzzling feeling from your bird. My thoughts =I hope that all take a second look. Thanks!
  • Is the barring on the tail bold enough for a Merlin? Are the black bars broad enough?
  • I get a strange feeling from the head pattern, which reminds me of a Ringtail Harrier, which this bird isnt
  • Funny, I thought the bird has a long tail in relation to the appearant wingtip. (position), but it's difficult to be sure
  • what can be glimpsed from the upperparts, I thought the barred pattern is ok for a Kestrel. But after enlarging it, I get a strange impression of bleached feathers
  • few Kestrels have a similar narrow supercilium, please compare: Club300 Germany
Conclusion? Yes. it might well be a Kestrel. But one with an unusual head pattern. Is it only due to picture quality? Maybe, and I am surely biased by Toms and all other comments. You know that I am grateful for this.
 
Patudo said:
That's a really interesting bird to see in Tehran, are merlins seen there regularly at all? I've seen photos of peregrines (ssp. babylonicus - "red shaheens") perched on buildings in the city - always wondered if they are winter visitors, or whether there are resident pairs.

re: ID of the original poster's bird - I have seen very few merlins in the flesh (or should that be feather) but the shape and general impression of the bird seems all wrong for kestrel, which I do see a lot of. The latter should give an impression of being slimmer, especially around the chest/shoulders. Plus, if kestrels are as regularly seen in urban areas in Iran as they are elsewhere, the OP is probably familiar with them.
Click to expand...
Hi
Yes. it is interesting. Merlins have seen as winter visitors in Iran but not so common. In specific locations in S of Tehran and N of alborz mountain, we enjoy of seeing them every year.
Peregrines also seen in the city on falls and winters catching pigeons . But in breeding season I haven't seen them in the urban area. I saw saker falcons and barbaryes a couple of times in the breeding season outside the city by myself.
It is proved that they breed in central Iran. Its so sad that nowadays because of economic problems, villagers in every part of country trying to catch them alive in a huge rate, to sell them to Arab regions.
 
Alexander Stöhr said:
Hello Ali,

do you have more pictures?

First: I don't know, what it is, but I get a puzzling feeling from your bird. My thoughts =I hope that all take a second look. Thanks!
  • Is the barring on the tail bold enough for a Merlin? Are the black bars broad enough?
  • I get a strange feeling from the head pattern, which reminds me of a Ringtail Harrier, which this bird isnt
  • Funny, I thought the bird has a long tail in relation to the appearant wingtip. (position), but it's difficult to be sure
  • what can be glimpsed from the upperparts, I thought the barred pattern is ok for a Kestrel. But after enlarging it, I get a strange impression of bleached feathers
  • few Kestrels have a similar narrow supercilium, please compare: Club300 Germany
Conclusion? Yes. it might well be a Kestrel. But one with an unusual head pattern. Is it only due to picture quality? Maybe, and I am surely biased by Toms and all other comments. You know that I am grateful for this.
Click to expand...

Strange, but I thought the head shape was more rounded like that of a Kestrel. Wing pattern suggested Kestrel also but I put that down to the distorted image rather than a clear indication.

As for the tail, the pattern looks more Merlin surely, more even and not as fine as a Kestrel. Is it windy and the undertail coverts/feathers have blown up giving the impression of a longer tail?

'Still think the white stripe is there above the eye, even though it is a distorted picture, and it looks a stockier bird to me like a Merlin although I suppose it's not so easy to tell from a bird on its own.

Then again, the bird is sat in prime habitat for a Kestrel!
 
Alexander Stöhr said:
Hello Ali,

do you have more pictures?

First: I don't know, what it is, but I get a puzzling feeling from your bird. My thoughts =I hope that all take a second look. Thanks!
  • Is the barring on the tail bold enough for a Merlin? Are the black bars broad enough?
  • I get a strange feeling from the head pattern, which reminds me of a Ringtail Harrier, which this bird isnt
  • Funny, I thought the bird has a long tail in relation to the appearant wingtip. (position), but it's difficult to be sure
  • what can be glimpsed from the upperparts, I thought the barred pattern is ok for a Kestrel. But after enlarging it, I get a strange impression of bleached feathers
  • few Kestrels have a similar narrow supercilium, please compare: Club300 Germany
Conclusion? Yes. it might well be a Kestrel. But one with an unusual head pattern. Is it only due to picture quality? Maybe, and I am surely biased by Toms and all other comments. You know that I am grateful for this.
Click to expand...
Hi
I asked the photographer if there are any...
 
alirezakiani said:
Hi
Yes. it is interesting. Merlins have seen as winter visitors in Iran but not so common. In specific locations in S of Tehran and N of alborz mountain, we enjoy of seeing them every year.
Peregrines also seen in the city on falls and winters catching pigeons . But in breeding season I haven't seen them in the urban area. I saw saker falcons and barbaryes a couple of times in the breeding season outside the city by myself.
It is proved that they breed in central Iran. Its so sad that nowadays because of economic problems, villagers in every part of country trying to catch them alive in a huge rate, to sell them to Arab regions.
Click to expand...

Another point to consider, Ali, is were there any of the songbirds nearby? If so, and the bird didn't have a crack at at least one of them, then probably not a Merlin.
 
Merlins in Iran will most likely be of the subspecies pallidus, which is paler overall, often has reduced flank markings and much thinner dark tail bars, altogether making them look more like kestrel:

macaulaylibrary.org

ML204790321 - Merlin (Pallid) - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML204790321; © Andrey Kovalenko; Soltüstik Qazaqstan oblysy, Kazakhstan
macaulaylibrary.org macaulaylibrary.org
macaulaylibrary.org

ML204790331 - Merlin (Pallid) - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML204790331; © Andrey Kovalenko; Soltüstik Qazaqstan oblysy, Kazakhstan
macaulaylibrary.org macaulaylibrary.org

The head pattern of the OP bird is certainly much like Merlin.
 
Last edited:
The tail-pattern in the second linked photo just above is very telling. I've no idea what goes on in central Eurasia, but, elsewhere (Europe, N America), merlin's tail-pattern of dark bars thicker than pale ones is normally very distinctive and a reliable feature. If in central Eurasia it's typically modified as we see here, then I don't see much to stop the OP's bird being a merlin.
 

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