Description
Life span: 3 years
A little falcon found in the Northern Hemisphere is called a merlin. The merlin measures 24-33 cm in length and 50-73 cm in wingspan. In comparison to the bulk of other lesser falcons, it is larger and stronger built. The average weight of a male is about 165 g, whereas the average weight of a female is about 230 g. Depending on the subspecies, the male merlin’s back might be nearly black or silver-grey in hue. Its underparts are orange to buff in hue with quite heavy reddish brown to black stripes. The female and immature are buffy in color, with brown patches on the underside and greyish to dark brown on the top.
The tail frequently has three to four broad, blackish bands in addition to the dark remiges. At the very end of the tail is a faint white stripe. The eyes are black, and the beak has a golden cere. The yellow foot has black claws.
Native Region/Habitat
Merlins can be seen in parks, taiga forests, grasslands, and moorland in addition to their natural habitat of relatively open places like shrubland. They are not very habitat-specific and can be found anywhere from the shore to the treeline. In general, they stay away from dense jungles and desert regions devoid of trees in favour of a mix of low- and medium-height flora that includes some trees. However, they will utilize practically any environment while migrating. There are merlins all around the Northern Hemisphere. Three of the nine recognised subspecies—nine in total—can be found in North America.
Behavior
Merlins mostly hunt ground-dwelling species including larks, sparrows, finches, ptarmigans, and grouse in sparsely vegetated areas. The diet also includes certain insects, dragonflies, lizards, snakes, and small animals.
They do not interact with other birds, unless it is breeding season. Throughout this time, the youngsters are taken care of alternately by both genders. While the female stays in the nest to lay her eggs, the male hunts. Only the male occasionally enters the nest, frequently dispersing food for the recovering female. When the children are older, hunting is a shared responsibility between the sexes.
As a pet/In captivity
Merlins should not be kept as indoor pets. The majority of places forbid Merlin ownership, capture, harassment, or shooting. In medieval Europe, merlins were prized in the sport of falconry. Although falconers may still instruct them to pursue smaller birds, this is less common today due to conservation restrictions. The merlin, like the American kestrel, gives modern falconers the opportunity to hunt sparrows and starlings all year long in populated areas without using dogs or vast tracts of land. The ability to routinely capture small game birds throughout hunting season is another advantage. A large, extremely enraged female merlin may occasionally take pigeons and even baby ducklings as prey.
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