What is the most common name of the British bird Falco Columbarius, a pigeon hawk, the males having a blue grey back?
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.
Western crowned pigeon the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and given the binomial name "Columba cristata". A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2018 found that the western crowned pigeon was most closely related to Sclater's crowned pigeon ("Goura sclaterii"). Western crowned pigeon The western crowned pigeon, also known as the common crowned pigeon or blue crowned pigeon ("Goura cristata") is a large, blue-grey pigeon with blue lacy crests over the head and dark blue mask feathers around its eyes. Both sexes are almost similar but males are often larger than females. It is on average 70 cm (28 in) long and