Infrequently Seen

Merlins breed north of the Washington area, but they can be seen during the spring and fall migration, and during the winter.

Where to See Them in the Park

Occasionally, a Merlin will be seen perched in a tree at Monticello Park, often eating a bird it has recently killed. Merlins generally prefer more open areas, which is why they are infrequently seen at Monticello. They are more likely to be seen along Four Mile Run.

Physical Description

Merlins are small, compact falcons, about the size of a robin. They have with a hefty chest. The wings are pointed, and the underwings are dark, with rows of white spots running from the body to the wing tips. The dark tail has numerous narrow white bands. The breast has heavy vertical streaking. The throat is white, and the moustache stripe is weak.

Merlins have some spotting on the bottom half of their upper wings.

The back of a male Merlin ranges from slaty to dark bluish-gray.

The male has light rufous leggings.

The back of female and immature Merlins is browner.

A perched Merlin resembles a perched Sharp-shinned Hawk. The Merlin on the left looks stockier and darker than the Sharp-shinned Hawk on the right. The markings on the Merlin's breast look heavier. The eye of the Sharp-shinned is yellow, while the eye of the Merlin is dark. The top of the head of the Sharp-shinned looks flatter. In flight, the Merlin shows pointed wings, while the wings of the Sharp-shinned are rounded.

Vocalizations

The Merlin's alarm call is a rapid, accelerating series of harsh notes which rise and then fall, somewhat resembling the call of a Killdeer. The call of the female is lower than the call of the male.

Hear the calls of the Merlin.

Notes

The name Merlin has no connection to the magician with the same name in the legends of King Arthur. But the merlioun was mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer's poem "The Parliament of Foules". In medieval times, the Merlin was thought to be a falcon for a lady. The names of the Merlin and many other types of falcons come from Norman French, because the French introduced falconry to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Merlins are belligerent birds who combine speed and power. In open areas, they fly low and seem to be able to shift into a higher gear when they approach a potential victim. They eat a lot of birds, along with rodents, lizards, and insects.

Origin of Names

Common Names: A term from Old French for a female bird.
Genus Name: Falco means falcon.
Species Name: Columbiarius means pigeon keeper, which refers to Merlins sometimes attacking and grabbing pigeons. A colloquial name for the Merlin is pigeon hawk

Merlin video footage

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