Merlin (bird) this phenomenon is due to the fluctuations of supplementary food stocks discussed above. Merlin (bird) 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 once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter. Males typically have wingspans of , with females being slightly larger. They are swift fliers and skilled hunters who specialize in preying on small birds in the size range of sparrows to
Norfolk pigeon 1901. Direct hunting by humans was probably the dominant cause of extinction. The first description of the species was given by John Latham, in his 1801 work "Supplementum Indicis Ornithologici". Twenty specimens of the Norfolk Pigeon are known. Three of these are in the Natural History Museum, Leiden. The Government of Norfolk Island released a stamp commemorating the bird on February 24, 1971. Norfolk pigeon The Norfolk pigeon or Norfolk Island pigeon ("Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae spadicea"), sometimes called a wood quest, was a subspecies of the New Zealand pigeon that inhabited Norfolk Island. It became extinct around the turn of the