This Merlin was hit by a car in Monkton, VT and suffered a broken wrist in September of 2019.  After healing up with a local rehabilitator, she was sent to the Museum to overwinter with hopes that she could be released in the spring.  Unfortunately her wrist did not heal correctly and Merlins are aerial hunters who need perfect flight if they are to survive. 

Merlins are exciting falcons with different subspecies found around the world.  They are pursuit hunters who will chase down other birds in the air with enough aerobatic skill to snatch dragonflies!  Our northeastern version has been expanding it's range southward since the 1980s and can now be found nesting in central New England even though many guidebooks still mark their range as ending on the northern borders of NY, NH, ME, and VT.