Merlin
Falco columbarius
Summary 2
General description: Merlins are dark birds about the size of a jay. In flight their wings appear short and pointed. They look almost identical to a peregrine falcon, only smaller.
Size: Merlins are about 10 to 13 inches long. Their wingspan is about 25 inches.
Color: Female and young merlins are dark brown with a streaked neck. The male is gray-blue to purple or brown. A merlin's tail has alternating light and dark bands and a white tip.
Sounds: Merlins rarely make a sound. When they do, it is a rising and falling "kikikikikiki" call or a harsh "peek".
Reproduction
Merlins often use old crows' nests. The female lays four or five spotted eggs. The female (and sometimes the male) incubates the eggs until they hatch after 25 to 32 days. Young fledge (learn to fly) 30 to 35 days after hatching. The young and parents stay together after they fledge, and may even migrate together in the fall.
Food
The merlin's diet is about 90 percent birds. It also eats insects, small mammals, lizards, and snakes. Merlins hunt in the open rather than in forests.
Predators
Other birds of prey.
Range and range
Merlins prefer open country and coniferous forests. In Minnesota they are found mainly in the northeastern and north-central part of the state. They often nest and hunt along lakeshores. Although most migrate south, occasionally one is spotted in Minnesota in the winter.
Population and management
Merlins are not common in Minnesota, but their range has expanded.
Fun facts
Merlins like to catch their prey in flight. They rush toward an insect or bird and make a quick turn at the end, smacking the prey with their feet to kill it or knock it out.
Fontes e Créditos
- (c) BJ Stacey, alguns direitos reservados (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/finaticphotography/8168072003/
- Adaptado por Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas de uma obra de (c) Wikipedia, alguns direitos reservados (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falco_columbarius
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