A Merlin life list is a list of all the bird species that an individual birder has personally observed and identified over their birdwatching lifetime. The name refers to the Merlin bird species and is a play on the more well-known “life list” that birders keep of all the species they have seen. Maintaining a life list is a fundamental activity for most birders, allowing them to track their progress and set birding goals. The Merlin life list has emerged more recently as a more exclusive subcategory of life lists.
What are the criteria for a Merlin life list?
While a regular life list includes all bird species seen by a birder over their lifetime, a Merlin life list follows stricter criteria:
- Only species seen within the United States and Canada are counted
- Introduced or escaped species are not counted, even if they have established breeding populations
- Extinct species are not counted
- The species must be seen by the birder themselves and positively identified – no hearsay or unconfirmed sightings
So in summary, a Merlin life list only includes species that are native to North America, currently living here naturally, and personally confirmed by the birder. This focuses the list on species that are seen through active birding efforts within North America.
What is the significance of the name?
The Merlin is a small North American falcon species found throughout much of the United States and Canada. The Merlin is the inspiration for the life list’s name for a few key reasons:
- It is a North American native species, fitting with the geographic restrictions of the list
- Merlins are ambitious and aggressive hunters, symbolizing the active pursuit of bird species by listers
- The Merlin is not extremely rare or limited in range, so seeing one is achievable for most birders, just like building up a Merlin list
So while the name is a bit whimsical, it fits well with the nature and spirit of this type of birding life list.
How many species are on the Merlin list?
According to official records, there are currently 678 species that meet the criteria for inclusion on a Merlin life list. This includes both regularly occurring and vagrant species found naturally in the United States and Canada.
For comparison, here are the total number of species in some other popular birding life lists:
Life List Type | Total Species |
---|---|
World | Around 10,000 species |
ABA (American Birding Association) | Around 1,000 species |
Merlin | 678 species |
As the table shows, the Merlin life list is focused on a subset of North American species, making it an achievable goal for many birders.
Which species are included on the Merlin list?
The Merlin life list includes a diverse range of bird species from across the United States and Canada. Here are some examples:
- Common backyard species like the American Robin, Northern Cardinal, and Black-capped Chickadee
- Widespread ducks, gulls, herons, and other waterbirds like the Mallard, Ring-billed Gull, and Great Blue Heron
- Unique western species like the California Quail, Gambel’s Quail, and Calliope Hummingbird
- Eastern forest denizens like the Blue Jay, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Scarlet Tanager
- Raptors found coast to coast like the Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, and Peregrine Falcon
- Elusive but regular migrants such as the Blackburnian Warbler, Broad-winged Hawk, and Swainson’s Thrush
In addition to these regular species, around 100 rare vagrants make the list from time to time when they naturally occur in North America. Examples include the European Goldfinch, Black-backed Oriole, and Great Kiskadee. So the Merlin list encompasses abundant backyard birds, widespread species, regional specialties, migrants, and rare vagrants.
How does the Merlin list work?
To maintain an official Merlin life list, birders need to follow these basic rules:
- Only count species seen personally within the US or Canada
- Introduced species like House Sparrows and European Starlings are not counted
- Extinct species like the Carolina Parakeet are not counted
- Keep detailed records and field notes confirming each new species added
- Only add species that were identified conclusively during the sighting
Birders keep their Merlin lists current by adding new species whenever they see and positively identify them for the first time within the US or Canada. Periodic reviews help remove any unverified or ineligible species. Comparing notes with other birders is a fun way to improve lists.
Why do birders keep Merlin life lists?
There are several motivations birders have for keeping a Merlin life list:
- Personal challenge and satisfaction – Growing your Merlin list over time brings a sense of accomplishment
- Benchmarking – It provides a way to compare your own birding experience with other birders
- Improved skills – The identification requirements enhance your birding skills
- Focus on North American species – It focuses your birding efforts closer to home
- Realistic goal setting – A full Merlin list is achievable for many birders
In essence, maintaining a Merlin list helps dedicated birders set goals, sharpen their skills, and gain satisfaction in their birding progress, all while promoting North American species.
What are some key tips for improving your Merlin list?
Here are some top tips for birders to grow their Merlin life list:
- Learn songs and calls well – this helps detect and identify birds
- Improve your identification skills – don’t count unconfirmed sightings
- Go birding often and in new areas – increases species chances
- Take advantage of migration seasons – birds on the move can bring new species
- Join field trips and birding groups – take advantage of others’ knowledge
- Keep detailed records and field notes – provides confirmation if needed
- Research expected and rare species in areas – know what’s possible
- Have fun! – bird for enjoyment and your list will grow naturally
Following these tips, being in the field regularly, and engaging with the birding community will all help birders build an impressive and meaningful Merlin life list over time.
What are some notable achievements related to the Merlin life list?
As the Merlin life list continues to gain popularity, there have been some impressive milestones and records set:
- In 2017, birder Noah Strycker became the first to officially see and identify all 678 Merlin list species in one calendar year
- The current record for a complete Merlin list is just over 7 years, set by renowned birder Lynn Barber
- Several birders have North American life lists exceeding 700 species, surpassing the official Merlin list
- Ebird user Josh Vandermeulen recorded seeing 634 Merlin species in 2021, the highest reported annual total
- California, Texas, and Florida lead for states with the most Merlin list species (over 600 each)
As more birders take up the Merlin life list challenge, these records will continue to be broken. Seeing over 600 North American species in one year remains an elite birder achievement.
How does eBird relate to the Merlin life list?
eBird is an online database for birders to log their sightings which also tracks life lists by region. While not officially affiliated with the Merlin list, eBird provides some useful tools:
- eBird life lists for the US and Canada align closely with Merlin list criteria
- eBird maps and hotspots help find birds to boost your Merlin list
- Shared eBird data improves knowledge of bird distribution
- eBird lists provide unofficial benchmarking against other birders
So while an eBird life list may not match an official Merlin list exactly, it can provide helpful resources and motivational goals aligned with the same North American birding ethos.
Conclusion
For dedicated North American birders, a Merlin life list provides a focused challenge on finding and identifying our native avian species. The rules limit the scope to birds seen personally in the US and Canada, excluding exotics and escapees. This maintains the emphasis on active birding skills and enjoyment rather than vagaries of taxonomy. A Merlin list is readily achievable with some commitment and experience. By encouraging deeper knowledge of North American species, the Merlin life list exemplifies a key passion of the birding community.