Merlin
MerlinMerlinMerlinMerlin

Merlin

Falco columbarius

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Saguaro National Park
357 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
11,549 Verified sightings across all 118 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Merlin

The merlin (Falco columbarius) is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia. A bird of prey, the merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter. Males typically have wingspans of 53–58 centimetres (21–23 in), with females being slightly larger. They are swift fliers and skilled hunters, which specialize in preying on small birds in the size range of sparrows to doves and medium-sized shorebirds. In recent decades, merlin populations in North America have been significantly increasing, with some merlins becoming so well adapted to city life that they forgo migration; in Europe, populations increased up to about 2000, but have been steady subsequently. The merlin has for centuries been well regarded as a falconry bird.

The scientific classification of the merlin (Falco columbarius) represents a crucial bridge between early colonial natural history and the birth of modern taxonomy. In the early 18th century, English naturalist Mark Catesby traveled through the American colonies and documented the bird under the colloquial name "pigeon... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

American Kestrel
LC Endemic

American Kestrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco sparverius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
🐦 No photo available

Falco atricapillus

Bird

Falco atricapillus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Peregrine Falcon
LC

Peregrine Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco peregrinus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Prairie Falcon
LC

Prairie Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco mexicanus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Crested Caracara
LC

Crested Caracara

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Caracara plancus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
3 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
4 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park 🇯🇲 Jamaica
~10%
6 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Main Ridge Forest Reserve 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
~10%
8 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
10 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
11 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
12 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
~10%
13 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
~10%
14 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
15 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
16 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
17 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
18 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
19 Thingvellir National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
~10%
20 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
21 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
22 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
23 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
24 Los Haitises National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
~10%
25 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
26 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
27 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
28 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
29 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
30 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
31 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
32 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
34 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
<5%
35 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
36 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
37 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
38 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
39 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
<5%
40 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
41 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
<5%
42 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
43 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
<5%
44 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
45 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
46 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
47 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
48 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
49 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
50 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
51 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
52 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
<5%
53 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
54 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
55 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
56 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
57 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
58 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
59 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
60 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
61 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
62 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
<5%
63 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
64 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
65 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
66 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
67 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
68 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
69 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
70 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
71 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
72 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
73 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
74 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
75 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
76 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
77 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
78 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
79 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
80 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
81 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
82 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
83 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
84 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
85 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
86 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
87 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
88 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
89 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
90 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
91 Vanoise National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
92 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
93 Hohe Tauern National Park 🇦🇹 Austria
Insufficient data
94 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
95 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
96 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
97 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
98 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
99 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
100 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
101 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
102 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
Insufficient data
103 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
104 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
105 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
106 Cajas National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
107 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
108 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
109 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
110 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
Insufficient data
111 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
112 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
113 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
Insufficient data
114 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
115 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
Insufficient data
116 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
Insufficient data
117 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
118 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Merlin in Saguaro National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Merlin sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 357 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Merlin in Saguaro National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Merlin in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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