How to Identify a Merlin (Falco columbarius)

• Body pattern: Female and immature brown above, male blue-gray above; all birds streaked below
• Tail: Dark tail crossed by narrow whitish bands
• Size compared with look-alikes: About the size of a Crow or a Robin; relatively short-tailed
• Flight silhouette: Hunts mainly by watching from a perch then flying out to capture prey in the air, or by flying low among trees or over the ground to surprise prey
• Wing patch (speculum): Distinguished from Sharp-shinned Hawk, which has similar streaked markings, by its pointed (not rounded) wingtips

Merlin lacks the American Kestrel's rufous back and tail and strong facial mustache stripes; it is separated from Sharp-shinned Hawk, which has similar streaked markings, by its pointed rather than rounded wingtips The Sharp-shinned Hawk page lists its own marks.

Open conifer woodland and prairie groves; also foothills, marshes, and open country during migration Found across Alaska, Canada, and much of the US including California, the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, New England, and the Southwest

Hunts mainly from a perch, flying out to catch prey in the air, or by flying low among trees or over open ground to surprise prey

Raptors are usually far away and against the sky, so expose for the bird, not the sky, and take several frames as it turns: the tail shape, wing shape and underwing pattern show best in flight. For a perched bird, get the head and chest in one frame. Size is hard to judge alone; compare with a nearby crow, gull or fence post. The app names the likely species; confirm with the marks above.