Diet
What do merlins eat?
Small birds and dragonflies, caught in fast level chases.
Falcons (Falconidae)MerlinFalco columbarius
Spring and summer diet
- Sparrows, waxwings and dragonflies
Fall and winter diet
- Small birds at feeders and on shorelines
Best feeder foods
- None — it hunts the birds your feeders attract
Increasingly a city nester, using old crow nests in conifers; hunts feeder flocks at speed.
Where merlins need winter food
Regions where merlins are present in the cold months:
AlabamaAlbertaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSaskatchewanSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWyoming
Frequently asked
What do merlins eat?
Small birds and dragonflies, caught in fast level chases.
What is the best food to feed merlins?
None — it hunts the birds your feeders attract.
What do merlins eat in winter?
Small birds at feeders and on shorelines.
Sources
- Merlin — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Merlin life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Merlin — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
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.