In the Middle Ages, falconers called merlins (Falco columbarius) "lady hawks," and noblewomen used them to hunt sky larks. These small, fierce falcons became endangered because of DDT, but have made a comeback and now can be spotted on shorelines hunting small birds and dragonflies.
Merlin, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Sept. 27, 2017
The merlins filmed in the Filming the Feathers video were seen in Central Park on March 9, 2015; at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens on Aug. 16, Sept.23, Sept. 27 and Oct. 3, 2017; and over the beach at Wolfe's Pond in Staten Island on Sept. 29, 2017. Two of the merlins filmed were banded.
Banded merlin, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Aug. 16, 2017
Banded merlin, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Oct. 3, 2017
