Merlin (bird)

Merlin
Male prairie merlin (F. c. richardsoni) with prey in Alberta (Canada)
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Falconiformes
Family:	Falconidae
Genus:	Falco
Species:	F. columbarius
Binomial name
Falco columbarius Linnaeus, 1758
Subspecies
3–9 subspecies (see text)
Range of F. columbarius   Summer only range   Year-round range   Winter only range
Synonyms
Aesalon columbarius (Linnaeus, 1758) Falco aesalon Tunstall, 1771 (but see text)

The merlin (Falco columbarius) is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere,^[2] with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter. Males typically have wingspans of 53–58 centimetres (21–23 in), with females being slightly larger. They are swift fliers and skilled hunters which specialize in preying on small birds in the size range of sparrows to quail. The merlin has for centuries been well regarded as a falconry bird. In recent decades merlin populations in North America have been significantly increasing, with some merlins becoming so well adapted to city life that they forgo migration.