Merlin Fun Facts!

Now that I told you that I saw the Merlins, I was just wondering if you wanted to take a step further into the Merlin world.  Here are some fun facts!  Merlins are adapted to prey on songbirds, as well as invertebrates.  Their wingspan can be 25 inches (64 cm).  It is a bit larger than the more common American Kestrel.  It looks stockier than an American Kestrel when perched.  There are several races of Merlins that are spread out across all of North America, but all have a banded tail as well as a uniformly dark back.  The Merlin's call is, as I said, a high-pitched kee-kee-kee-kee.  The habits Merlins have in terms of breeding are unusual, as the hen simply lays her eggs in a tree cavity rather than in a nest.  The Merlin's eggs are rust-coloured instead of white, with darker spots all over the surface, which is unusual for birds nesting in the surroundings.  The young chicks fledge after a month.  Merlins usually look like they're flying purposefully, as if they're late for something and have to get there as fast as they can.  They hardly ever hover in one spot like the American Kestrel does.