Common Names
- Merlin Falcon (en)
- Esmerejón (es)
- Faucon émerillon (fr)
- Merlin (de)
Taxonomy
- Falconiformes
- Falconidae
- Falco columbarius
Small falcon, present in North America and Eurasia, praying mostly on other small birds. It is a migratory species spending winter in the southern North America or Central America.
My only observation of this species happened early December within the streets of Montreal, sitting on a tree, eating prey.
Looks very similar to Peregrine Falcon. Distinguished characteristics are the beak proportions, color of breast feathers and eyebrows.
A rare opportunity being able to watch this species eating its catch just outside my apartment.
Champ des Possibles, Montreal - 2020-12-07
NIKON Z 6; NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S; Focal Length 200mm; Exposure 1/1600; Aperture f/2.8; Iso 560;
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