Merlin
Scientific name:  Falco columbarius
Family Name:  Falconidae

Are they endangered?  No, it is not endangered worldwide.  (IUCN Red list: Least concern)

What are their past/present problems?  The biggest problems for Merlins are people clearing the land where they have their nests and flying into buildings.

What do they look like?  Males are a bluish-gray color overall with lines of black and brown going through their white front side.   Their bellies look like they are beige with brown spots.  They have pale yellow eyes and legs.  The females have more brown and are less colorful.

How big are they?  They are about a foot long.  If their wings are fully stretched out, they would be about 2 feet wide.
How many eggs do they lay?  Females lay from 3 to 6 white eggs once a year.  The eggs hatch in a month.
How long do the fledglings stay in the nest?  Merlins only add things to old nests from other birds.  The young birds leave the nest in about 25-35 days. 
When do they hunt?  Merlins hunt during the day. (diurnal)
What do they eat?  They like to eat insects, small birds, and MICE!
Where do they live?  They live in the Middle East, Europe, the Caribbean Islands, Africa, South America, and North America.
What kind of place do they like to live in?  Merlins like open areas, farm fields, valleys, and wetlands.
Interesting facts:
Sometimes Merlins fly like their bird prey so that they won’t be recognized until it’s too late.     
These birds were called jacks when they were used in falconry in old times.
They will hide extra prey they kill to eat it later.
Merlins perch kind of low to the ground and attack prey quickly.  The knock the prey onto the ground to capture it.
They will attack humans that get too close to their nests.

Works Cited:

Alsop, Fred.  Birds of North America.  New York:  DK Publishing, 2001.

Falco columbarius.   14 Jan. 2008.  <http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/49506/all>.

Merlin.  5 Oct. 2007.  <http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/falcons/merlin.html>.