Merlin: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the merlin lives – recorded in 64 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Falco columbarius
Group	Birds of prey
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	64 countries
Continents	Asia, Europe, North America, South America
Mass	162 g (male organism, adult weight); 212 g (female organism, adult weight)
Class	Bird
Order	Falconiformes
Family	Falconidae

Where does the merlin live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the merlin in 64 countries and territories across Asia, Europe, North America and South America. Wikidata gives its range as: Africa, Brazil, South America.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

How big is a merlin?

Wikidata records the following for the merlin: mass 162 g (male organism, adult weight); 212 g (female organism, adult weight).

Is the merlin endangered?

The merlin’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the merlin?

The merlin (Falco columbarius) is a bird in the order Falconiformes and the family Falconidae, genus Falco. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the merlin

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, with some merlins becoming so well adapted to city life that they forgo migration; in Europe, populations increased up to about 2000, but have been steady subsequently. The merlin has for centuries been well regarded as a falconry bird.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Merlin (bird) (revision 1380899569), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q131918 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).