Birds of the Botanic Gardens

Merlin: Falco columbarius; Local name: Gligli montayne;
Family: Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)

​Description: Medium-sized migrant, 25-35 cm long (10-14 in); close relative of the slightly smaller American Kestrel (Gligli); upperparts slate-grey in male, dark brown in female; both heavily speckled brown on neck and underparts; have short, dark, hooked beak of the raptor, black eyes with long, light-grey eye-brows; pointed wings; long, narrow, dark-grey tail, banded light grey; have short, yellow legs and yellow, taloned feet; juveniles and immature females like adult female; is very quick and agile in flight; when hunting, usually flies close to the ground and catches prey with a burst of speed; feeds variously on small birds, small lizards and large insects; during migration, primarily in October, is often seen in Gardens’ sky at dusk hunting small bats in flight; click  here   to see its video.

References:
Arlington James, et al. Dominica’s Birds. Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Dominica, 2005
James Bond. Birds of the West Indies. Collins, St James Place, London, 4th Edition, 1979
Herbert Raffaele, et al. Birds of the West Indies. Princeton Field Guides, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2003
Fred J. Alsop III. Birds of Florida. Smithsonian Handbooks, Dorling Kindersley, NewYork, 2002.