Birds
Merlin
Falco columbarius · also called pigeon hawk
A flock of waxwings scatters in a suburban parking lot as a merlin closes the distance in a low, direct chase, giving no ground and no time for the kind of aerial trickery that might work against a less committed pursuer.
Overview
The merlin, Falco columbarius, is a compact, powerfully built falcon that breeds across boreal forest and open woodland spanning North America, Europe, and Asia. Its relentless direct-chase hunting style and growing success nesting in cities and towns make it one of the more adaptable and increasingly familiar small falcons across its range.
Speed without the spectacle
Where a peregrine falcon relies on a dramatic high-altitude stoop to strike prey from above, the merlin instead wins through sheer sustained speed and refusal to give up a chase, a less flashy but consistently effective approach to catching birds on the wing.
Status
Least Concern, increasing — populations have grown across much of North America in recent decades, aided by recovery from historical pesticide impacts and by growing success nesting in urban settings.
Merlin: common questions
How does the merlin catch its prey?
A merlin typically hunts by chasing small birds down in fast, direct, low-level flight, relying on speed, agility, and persistence to run prey out of options, a hunting style noticeably different from the dramatic high-altitude stoop that larger falcons such as the peregrine use to strike prey from above.
Why was the merlin once called the pigeon hawk?
The merlin was historically known in North America as the pigeon hawk, a name reflecting its compact falcon build and general resemblance to a small hawk rather than any strong specific preference for hunting pigeons, and the name has since largely fallen out of use in favour of merlin.
Does the merlin build its own nest?
No, a merlin does not build its own nest, instead reusing the old abandoned nests of crows, magpies, or hawks, or nesting directly on a cliff ledge in more open terrain, a strategy that saves the merlin the effort of nest construction entirely.
Why are merlins increasingly seen nesting in cities?
The merlin has increasingly taken to breeding in urban and suburban areas across parts of its range, drawn by ornamental trees suitable for nesting and a reliable year-round supply of small songbirds such as waxwings, a behavioural shift that has helped support the species' overall population increase.