Raptor of the Week: Merlin

Merlin
Falco columbarius

The midsize merlin is a rare migrant and a rare winter resident, first occurring during migration in late March and again in late August. A few very old nesting records exist. Two subspecies of this falcon occur in Iowa: the taiga merlin and the Richardson's or prairie merlin, a pale form.

The Raptors of Iowa, paintings by James F. Landenberger

Raptors of the Week: Gyrfalcon

Gyrfalcon
Falco rusticolus

The largest of the North American falcons lives mainly in the Arctic; it is of accidental occurrence in Iowa, with fewer than ten documented reports. The first acceptable records, from 1992 and 1993, were of gray-phase immature birds.

The Raptors of Iowa, paintings by James F. Landenberger