The Merlin (Falco columbarius) is the smallest of Sweden's falcons, a compact, powerful hunter that chases small birds in fast, low flight over open ground. It measures 25–33 cm with a wingspan of 56–69 cm and weighs 165–235 grams, with females noticeably larger than males. The male is blue-grey above with a rust-orange, dark-streaked breast, while the female is brown above and more heavily streaked below; both have pointed, relatively short wings and a compact, robust silhouette that, combined with a low, energetic flight on quick, steady wingbeats, makes the species recognisable even at a distance. Unlike the Kestrel, the Merlin does not typically hover.
Its call is a quick, bright, repeated "ki-ki-ki-ki", heard mainly near the nest during the breeding season. The Merlin breeds in Sweden's mountain regions and the forests of Norrland, favouring mountain heath, alpine tundra and mires, with a population estimated at 3,000–5,000 pairs; the species is a short-distance migrant, most visible during migration from August to October when it appears in open landscapes and along coasts throughout the country. It builds no nest of its own, instead laying its 4–5 eggs directly on the ground on mountain heath — often sheltered by a stone or bush — or in old crow or raptor nests in forested areas. Incubation takes about a month, and the young leave the nest after roughly the same period but continue to depend on their parents while learning to hunt. The Merlin preys chiefly on small birds — Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Snow Bunting and various finches are among its most frequent victims — hunting by rushing low and fast over the ground to surprise prey at close range; it is extremely quick but has limited endurance and often abandons the chase if the prey escapes, sometimes hunting instead from a perch. Globally the species is Least Concern, but in Sweden it is red-listed as Near Threatened.
Read about this species in Swedish →