Fauna Flora Photography

Merlin Falcon Falco columbarius

Small falcon, present in North America and Eurasia, preying mostly on other small birds. It is a migratory species spending winter in the southern North America or Central America. Merlins living in urban areas may remain over winter and not migrate.

Taxonomy

Aves > Falconiformes > Falconidae

Names in different Languages

GermanMerlin
EnglishMerlin Falcon
FrenchFaucon émerillon
SpanishEsmerejón

How to Identify

Looks very similar to Peregrine Falcon. Distinguished characteristics are the beak proportions, colour of breast feathers and eyebrows.

Where When to Spot

My first observation of this species happened early December within the streets of Montreal, sitting on a tree, eating prey. A second observation happened not far from the first place, a few years later in January 2023.

SpringSummerFallWinter
Champ des Possibles 0 0 1 0
  0 0 1 0

Number of times a species has been observed, identified, and recorded. A species is reported only once per visit to a park.

Photos of Merlin Falcon

Videos of Merlin Falcon

You can watch these videos and many more on Muuuh's YouTube Channel.


Last updated on 2023-06-20. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.