Residents spot young merlin in Norðurmýri

Residents of Norðurmýri spotted a merlin in the neighbourhood on Wednesday morning, mbl.is reports. Ýr Jóhannsdóttir encountered the bird on Gunnarsbraut and described it as particularly tame and friendly.

The merlin is a migratory bird and Iceland’s most common bird of prey. It resembles a gyrfalcon but is much smaller.

Jóhann Óli Hilmarsson, an ornithologist and bird photographer, said the bird was young. Young merlins are generally bolder and less skilful at hunting, he said. They mainly prey on small birds and occasionally mice.

Merlins have been known to lie in wait for unsuspecting small birds. “For example, when people are feeding birds, they can cause trouble there,” Jóhann Óli told mbl.is.

Most of Iceland’s merlin population heads to the British Isles and western Europe for the winter, while some birds remain in Iceland.