---
title: "Merlin"
description: "Falco columbarius — Birds. The merlin (Falco columbarius) is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/merlin
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Merlin

> Falco columbarius — Birds. The merlin (Falco columbarius) is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia.

- Scientific name: *Falco columbarius*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: unknown
- iNaturalist observations: 40842
- Wikidata: [Q131918](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131918)
- iNaturalist taxon: [4672](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4672)

## Names

- en: Merlin
- de: Merlin
- es: Halcón esmerejón
- fr: Faucon émerillon
- nl: Smelleken
- pt: Esmerilhão
- pl: Drzemlik

## Countries with the most observations

US (19811), CA (11618), RU (1758), MX (1239), CO (242), GB (229), ES (141), FR (129), UA (102), IS (96), DE (92), PR (92)

## Summary

The merlin (Falco columbarius) is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia. A bird of prey, 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 doves and medium-sized shorebirds. In recent decades, merlin populations in North America have been significantly increasing…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_(bird)

## Photo

![Merlin](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/merlin/medium.jpg)

Photo: Kathlin Simpkins · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/185660720

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/merlin?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).