The following article was written by Nancy Nabak, the Communication & Development Coordinator at the Woodland Dunes Nature Center.
Last night around 5:00 pm, I met a friend out for a quick bite at Kurtz’s Pub & Grill in Two Rivers. As I stepped out of my car, I heard a high-pitched and fast cackle coming from across the street. Knowing this wasn’t a “normal” Main Street sound, we both scanned our surroundings and found a Merlin perched atop a utility pole.
Merlins are small, streaked, slaty gray to brown colored falcons that are becoming more common in our urban neighborhoods. It’s not too far fetched to think one could be perched near Kurtz’s because they like to hunt small songbirds (think House Sparrows) and small shorebirds. Considering the beach is only a couple of blocks away, once migration really kicks in, the table is set.
It wasn’t too long ago that seeing this pint-sized falcon was a rare experience. Their numbers really dipped due to pesticide contamination in the 1960s and 1970s. With the banning of DDT and other organochlorides, their numbers have been recovering and they are now considered a species of low conservation concern. (I love sharing positive news about our natural world.)
Even though Merlins are small, they can be fierce and use surprise attacks to bring down their prey. I’ve read where they’ve teamed up to hunt in large waxwing flocks – one flushing the flock by attacking from below and the other entering just moments later to take advantage of the scattered confusion. I witnessed something similar to this on a smaller scale while monitoring a chimney for roosting swifts a couple of years ago. I was counting the swifts as they were “dropping in” for the night when suddenly from a ledge on the school, a merlin flew up to go after a 10-fold of swifts that were trying to enter just seconds apart. The swifts scattered but the chase was on. I don’t believe the Merlin was victorious in this situation, but it was fascinating to watch this raw moment in our natural world reveal itself in just seconds.
Today, many bird curious individuals are using a bird-identifying app created by the Cornell Lab. Ironically, the app is named, “Merlin.” In fact, in 2023, over 3 million people worldwide were documented using this device. Wondering why this name was chosen, I did a little sleuthing and here’s the answer. “We named the app ‘Merlin’ because of its uncanny, almost magical way of guessing which bird you saw (or at least that’s the goal we’re working toward).” I’ve come to believe Merlins are magical either way you look at it.
One last thing, remember that high-pitched cackle I mentioned in the beginning? Once you hear the high speed “laughter” of the Merlin, it will help you distinguish it from other birds. This April 1st we will be leading a “Fools of Nature” hike. Maybe we’ll hear the laughter of other fools in nature… come join us and find out! You might be surprised.
