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Merlin
Merlin
- THAT'S ME
- FACTS
- OBSERVATIONS
- MULTIMEDIA
- QUIZ
Dear explorer, dear explorers,
I have spent the last few months at Seewinkel . I still have a little time left here in Pannonia. But in the first days of spring I'll be flying back to my breeding grounds in Scandinavia. I am the smallest falcon in Europe, fast as lightning and agile like none of my relatives.
Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Merlin.
Header image: © Leander Khil
Picture credits: © Leander Khil
Facts
Length: 25 - 33 cm
Wingspan: approx. 60 cm
Weight: 125 - 300 g
Life expectancy: up to 12 years
Appearance
Picture credits: © Leander Khil
Merlins are very small falcons, only slightly larger than a thrush. As with many falcons and birds of prey, the females are larger and stronger than the males. The latter are more brightly colored: Steel-grey backs and rust-orange undersides characterize older males (see "Habitat"). The females are a cold grey-brown color. The sparrowhawk is similarly agile, small and on the hunt for small birds. Unlike the sparrowhawk, however, the merlin has pointed, long wings, as is typical of falcons, and, on closer inspection, many differences in plumage coloration: for example, the "tear stripe" that runs from the eye downwards - a characteristic feature of falcons.
Voice
Merlins are largely silent away from their breeding grounds, including here at Seewinkel. If a sighting of a merlin is already something special, it would be all the more outstanding to hear its voice. This is most likely to happen when they are very excited, e.g. during a fight with a competitor.
Food
Picture credits: © Leander Khil
Merlins are specialized small bird hunters here in the winter area. They try their luck wherever there are flocks of songbirds. At Seewinkel , for example, they can be seen hunting starlings, finches, pipits and waders. In summer, in the tundra, they also prey on small mammals (e.g. lemmings).
Reproduction
In the Nordic breeding areas, the merlin starts breeding from around May. The female digs the nest cavity in old nests of crows or birds of prey, in rock niches or, if there are no trees or rocks, on the ground. There she lays 3-5 eggs, from which the chicks hatch after about 30 days. After another four weeks, the young birds leave the nest and a month later they become independent. As early as August, the offspring make their own way south.
Distribution
Merlins breed in the taiga and forest tundra of Eurasia and North America. Southwards, the European breeding area extends as far as the Faroe Islands, Scotland and the Baltic States. In winter, they migrate southwards. The majority remain in Europe, but some even reach parts of Africa south of the Sahara.
Habitat
Picture credits: © Leander Khil
Open, treeless terrain suits the Merlin. This includes tundra areas, moors and heaths. In winter, they can be found on extensive pastures and meadows and in farmland. The birds often stay close to flocks of small birds, which they regularly hunt.
Hazards
Due to the negative effects of the insecticide DDT, the merlin became very rare in Europe until the 1970s. With the ban on DDT, populations recovered and worldwide it is currently considered to be endangered. On the southern edge of its European range (Great Britain, Denmark, Baltic states), however, populations are declining.
Where to find
Picture credits: © Leander Khil
Every sighting of a merlin is a great stroke of luck, as they are always inconspicuous, prefer to stand on the ground rather than exposed in trees and are not as conspicuous in flight as a kestrel, for example, but fly quickly and close to the ground. The fact that they are solitary birds and do not appear in groups makes them even more difficult to find. However, the merlin is a regular winter visitor to Seewinkel and observations are always successful, especially between September and March.
Videos with special content about the Merlin
