Bird Watching or Twitching in Andalucia Southern Spain
February 2005, Merlin, Falco columbarius
This is the smallest raptor in Europe. It has short wings that are broad at the base with a disproportionately long tail. It preys on young birds and makes long aerial pursuits if necessary.
The merlin can sometimes be mistaken for a peregrine but is smaller and has a russet speckled breast and the female has brown on top of the wings.
The merlin is a bird that nests in the north of Scandinavia and Russia and winters in central Europe and the Iberian Peninsula.