Merlin
The merlin (Falco columbarius) is a small, fast, compact falcon of the northern forests and tundra. It chases small birds in a determined, low pursuit.
The merlin (Falco columbarius) is a small, fast, compact falcon of the northern forests and tundra. It chases small birds in a determined, low pursuit.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Merlin in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Reptilia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
A Falcon of Pursuit
Unlike the peregrine, which dives onto prey, the merlin hunts by surprise and chase, flying fast and low over open ground to flush songbirds and shorebirds and following them up.
Borrowed Nests
Merlins do not build their own nests. They use old crow, magpie or hawk nests, and in recent decades have taken to towns and cities in Canada and Europe.
Lady's Hawk
In medieval falconry the merlin was a hawk for noblewomen. Its numbers declined from pesticides in the twentieth century and recovered later. See Peregrine Falcon.
Merlin at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Falco columbarius |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Falconiformes |
| Family | Falconidae |
| Field Guide group | Reptilia: Aves (Birds) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Small, fast, dark raptor that chases small prey in low, direct flight; notched 'tooth' on its upper beak. |
| IUCN Red List status | Least Concern (LC), assessed 2021 |
| Family | Falconidae |
| Hunting style | Fast low chase |
See Also
- Peregrine Falcon — a larger falcon
- American Kestrel — a smaller falcon