Merlin
A female Merlin (Falco columbarius) perched in a cottonwood in a prairie in rural Boulder County. Though one of the smaller falcons, merlins have been used for falconry for centuries. Their most common prey are small birds, and will occasionally visit feeders like their distant cousins the Cooper and Sharp-shinned hawks. Merlins are usually transients in our area, spending the breeding season in the boreal and arctic zones and winters to the south and west of Colorado.
Merlin
A female Merlin (Falco columbarius) perched in a cottonwood in a prairie in rural Boulder County. Though one of the smaller falcons, merlins have been used for falconry for centuries. Their most common prey are small birds, and will occasionally visit feeders like their distant cousins the Cooper and Sharp-shinned hawks. Merlins are usually transients in our area, spending the breeding season in the boreal and arctic zones and winters to the south and west of Colorado.