|
Small falcon with
blue-gray upperparts, white to pale brown underparts with
dark streaks. Throat, eye-ring, line above eye are white. Dark gray
bill,
cere is yellow. Tail is brown or black barred with white tips.
Pacific race is dark gray. Prairie race is light gray. Taiga race is
a mixture.
|
MERLIN
Falco columbarius
FALCONIFORMES
Falcons (Falconidae)
Range and Habitat
Breeds from Alaska east through Mackenzie to Newfoundland and south
to Wyoming, Montana, and northeastern Maine. Spends winters mainly in
the southern U.S. north along the west coast up to British Columbia
and on the east coast to southern New England. Preferred habitats include
coniferous forests.
SOUND: "ki-ki-kee", "kek-kek-kek", "klee-klee-klee"
In Europe, Merlins will roost communally in winter, often with Hen Harriers.
In North America, this is rare, and it is well known for fiercely attacking
any birds of prey that it encounters.
In medieval Europe, they were popular in falconry.
In North America it is sometimes called "pigeon hawk", though
being a falcon it is not very closely related to true hawks.
A group of merlins has many collective nouns, including a "brace",
"leash", and "illusion" of merlins.
The Merlin has a large range, estimated globally at 10,000,000 kilometers.
Native to the Americas, Europe and Asia, and spotted in parts of Africa
this bird prefers forest, shrubland, grassland, and marine ecosystems.
The global population of this bird is estimated at 100,000 to 1,000,000
individuals and does not show signs of decline that would necessitate
inclusion on the
IUCN Red List. For this reason, the current evaluation status of the
Merlin is Least Concern.
|
