This isn't the best picture of a Merlin, but it is hard to catch these birds in flight! The picture provides a typical falcon silhouette with very pointed triangular wings. This Merlin was photographed on 21 September 2003 as it literally and figuratively flew past Allegheny Front Hawk Watch. The digital camera picture was taken with a 10X lens setting.

This another picture of the same Merlin as in the above photograph. It shows the brownish (streaky, but the resolution isn't sufficient to show the streakiness) under belly of the Merlin. They are slightly larger overall and their bellies tend to be darker than those of American Kestrels. Merlins have blue-gray to dark gray backs and upper wings. The digital camera picture was taken with 10X lens setting.

Back to the Allegheny Front Hawk Watch home page.