Merlin

Common Name: Merlin

Latin Name: Falco columbarius

Family: Falconidae

The merlin is the smallest bird of prey in the UK and can be found nesting on a number of moors in the National Park where suitable tall stands of heather are present. It is a species that relies on speed and agility to catch a wide range of small bird species on the moorland and moorland fringe with meadow pipits a favoured prey item.

Work carried out during the last national merlin survey in 1993 and 1994 estimated that around 40 to 50 pairs were present in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The importance of many of the heather moorlands in the Dales for species such as the merlin has led their designation as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The results from several long term studies in the Dales suggest that there has been a slight population decline in the recent years. It is also apparent from one long term study site in the National Park that a number of merlins breeding in the Dales have originated from sites north or south of the area. This indicates that the population in the Dales may well be dependent on recruitment of birds from other areas of northern England.

Websites:

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (opens in new window)