While he's not that Merlin, this Merlin is still magical to watch. Merlins (Falco columbarius) are found throughout the North Hemisphere. The common name comes from "esmerillon", the old French name for the species. Merlins used to be called “pigeon hawks” because in flight they look somewhat pigeon-like. Their species name, columbarius, is also a reference to pigeons. Merlin pairs have been seen teaming up to hunt large flocks of waxwings: one Merlin flushes the flock by attacking from below; the other comes in moments later to take advantage of the confusion. Merlins were popular with noblewomen from Catherine the Great to Mary Queen of Scots. They were used for sport to hunt skylarks. Today, European and North American falconers continue to work with Merlins, hunting quarry that ranges from sparrow-sized to dove-sized. SpaceX named its Merlin rocket engine after the merlin. Rendered in Poser 2014 without any post work. Models: Flink's Sky Dome (Flink/Renderosity), Autumn Forest Superior (Andrey Pestryakov/DAZ3D), Songbird Remix Birds of Prey Volume I: Kestrels, Hobbies & Falcons and a branch from Songbird Remix Perching Places (Ken Gilliland/Hivewire3D)