The Merlin (Falco columbarius) is a small, fierce falcon found in the Northern Hemisphere, known for its swift flying and hunting skills, making it a valued falconry bird.
Males have a blue-grey back, with variations from black to silver-grey, and buff to orange-tinted underparts streaked with black or reddish brown. Females and immature birds are brownish-grey to dark brown above, with whitish buff spotted with brown below. They have a less patterned face compared to other falcons, featuring a weak supercilium and faint malar stripe. Their eyes and beak are dark, with a yellow cere, and their feet are yellow with black claws. Nestlings have pale buff down feathers.
