Merlin

Falco columbarius

Small falcon with a big appetite. Power-dives shorebirds at 50 mph and never apologizes.

Population: Global population not precisely quantified in a single IUCN/PIF headline figure obtainable via accessible sources; regional counts range from ~250-300 pairs (Belarus) to ~30,000 pairs of the aesalon subspecies (European Russia, 1993 est.)
Habitat: Open and semi-open country — taiga forest edge, willow/birch scrub, shrubland, moorland, steppe/prairie grassland, sea level to treeline, and increasingly urban parks in winter (and year-round for some North American populations)
Fun fact: Some North American Merlins have adapted so thoroughly to city life that they now forgo migration entirely, nesting and wintering year-round in urban parks where streetlights and abundant songbirds make hunting easier.
Range: Holarctic breeder across northern North America and Eurasia; northern populations migrate to winter in temperate-to-tropical latitudes, though some North American populations have become non-migratory urban residents
Diet: Primarily small-to-medium birds (roughly 10-40g) caught in fast low-level pursuit flight; also large insects, small mammals, and occasionally reptiles/amphibians
Size: 0.285 m
Wingspan: 0.615 m
Lifespan: 13 years

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