How to attract merlins to your yard
Merlins respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 62 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. The Merlin is a year-round resident in 9 states and provinces, including Alberta, Colorado, Idaho, Manitoba, Montana, Nevada and 3 more — there, a yard can host it in every season. It arrives only to breed in 15, such as Alaska, British Columbia, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Brunswick and 9 more, so set up before spring arrival. It is a winter visitor in 38, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware and 32 more, where feeders and winter fruit matter most.
Plant what merlins use
These native plants are tied to the Merlin in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| American elderberry Sambucus canadensis | Shrub | 44 | Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species. |
| Black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 43 | Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees. |
| Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea | Tree | 39 | Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed. |
| White oak Quercus alba | Tree | 37 | Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food. |
| Arrowwood viburnum Viburnum dentatum | Shrub | 31 | Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover. |
| Flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 30 | Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers. |
| Spicebush Lindera benzoin | Shrub | 30 | Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants. |
| Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 29 | Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load. |
| New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae | Perennial | 29 | Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows. |
| Tall goldenrod Solidago altissima | Perennial | 27 | Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (shrub, tree, perennial). Layering matters: mixing shrub, tree, perennial gives merlins food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Small birds and dragonflies, caught in fast level chases.
- Warm months
- Sparrows, waxwings and dragonflies
- Cold months
- Small birds at feeders and on shorelines
- At feeders
- None — it hunts the birds your feeders attract
Feeder style matters as much as food: shallow bird bath (1–2 in deep) is the first choice for this bird. Increasingly a city nester, using old crow nests in conifers; hunts feeder flocks at speed. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Reuses old crow or magpie nests in conifers.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 2–7 eggs
- Incubation
- 28–32 days
- Nestling period
- 25–35 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around May in Colorado but not until June in Yukon. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; residents usually find a stocked yard first.
Frequently asked
What attracts merlins to a yard?
Food they actually eat (none — it hunts the birds your feeders attract), native plants such as American elderberry, Black cherry, Serviceberry, clean water and suitable nesting cover: reuses old crow or magpie nests in conifers.
What plants attract merlins?
Across the Merlin's range, the native plants most often tied to it are American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Black cherry (Prunus serotina), Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), White oak (Quercus alba), Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting merlins?
Nesting starts around May in Colorado and as late as June in Yukon. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Merlin — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Merlin life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Merlin — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.