Merlin
Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Moorland (summer); coast (winter).
Diet: Small birds.
Best time to spot: UK's smallest raptor; low fast hunter.
When to look
Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. More on the season in UK raptors and owls.
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Eurasian HobbyUncommon · Heathland
- Gyrfalcon · Cliffs (rare winter visitor)
- Peregrine FalconUncommon · Cliffs
- Amur Falcon · Open country (extreme vagrant)
- Eleonora's FalconEpic · Mediterranean sea-cliffs
- Eleonora's Falcon · Sea-cliffs (very rare)
Kit that helps
Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, tested picks, no extra cost to you.
See Merlin sightings on the map