The female Merlin was photographed at Humboldt Park in Bayview, Wisconsin
Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Merlin
The female Merlin is a small compact falcon, slightly larger than a Jay, with dusky brown above, a bold streaked breast, and a broad black-banded tail. It has a range of the Northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere and summers mainly in Canada and Alaska. It has a habitat of open conifer woodlands, prairie groves, and in migration foothills, marshes, and open country. It feeds on mostly small birds, large insects, rodents, bats and reptiles. It is a fast flying bird swooping down on birds in the air and the ground.
Photos of Birds by Common Name by Sid Hamm 