Merlin (bird) 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 quail. The merlin has for centuries been well regarded as a falconry bird.
Blue pigeon to a miniature version of the sternum of a "Ducula" imperial pigeon. Blue pigeon A blue pigeon is a bird species in the genus Alectroenas of the pigeon family. The group includes the: George Robert Gray named a new genus, "Alectroenas", for the Mauritius blue pigeon in 1840; "alektruon" means domestic cock and "oinas" means dove. "Alectroenas nitidissima" is the type species of the genus, which includes all blue pigeons. The "Alectroenas" blue pigeons are closely interrelated and occur widely throughout islands in the western Indian Ocean. They are allopatric and can therefore be regarded as a superspecies. There are