The Merlin

The famous Rolls-Royce Merlin aeroengine is named for this bird.

Merlin

The Merlin (Falco columbarius) is a compact, small falcons that nest circumpolar in the northern hemisphere and is the smallest falcon in Europe. The species has a northern circumpolar distribution and breeds in Iceland, British Isles, Scandinavia, Baltic States, northern Asia and North America. Most of the world population are migrants.

The Merlin often nests in abandoned nests by corvids or pigeons.

The Merlin hunts mainly birds, but sometimes rodents and insects. The Merlin can take its prey in the air and on the ground. The Merlin likes to sit on a slightly elevated location looking for prey.