- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Falconiformes
- Family
- Falconidae
- Genus
- Falco
Conservation status
Of special interest in Ohio (Ohio Division of Wildlife, June 2026)
Ohio's Division of Wildlife names it as one at the edge of its range in Ohio, breeding here at low numbers. It is not listed as endangered or threatened.
Near Cuyahoga County
Range
Where it is recorded
Season shown in 0 of Ohio's 88 counties. Its mapped range covers 88. Explore Ohio
- No result yet (0)
- Within its mapped range (48)
- Recorded, too few records for a result (34)
- Recorded, season not shown (6)
- Season shown (0)
Counties as a table
| County | Records | In mapped range |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Allen County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Ashland County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Ashtabula County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Athens County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Auglaize County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Belmont County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Brown County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Butler County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Carroll County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Champaign County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Clark County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Clermont County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Clinton County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Columbiana County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Coshocton County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Crawford County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Cuyahoga County | 41 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Darke County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Defiance County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Delaware County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Erie County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Fairfield County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Fayette County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Franklin County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Fulton County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Gallia County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Geauga County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Greene County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Guernsey County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Hamilton County | 38 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Hancock County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Hardin County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Harrison County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Henry County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Highland County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Hocking County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Holmes County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Huron County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Jackson County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Jefferson County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Knox County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Lake County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Lawrence County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Licking County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Logan County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Lorain County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Lucas County | 48 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Madison County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Mahoning County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Marion County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Medina County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Meigs County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Mercer County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Miami County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Monroe County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Montgomery County | 40 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Morgan County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Morrow County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Muskingum County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Noble County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Ottawa County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Paulding County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Perry County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Pickaway County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Pike County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Portage County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Preble County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Putnam County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Richland County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Ross County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Sandusky County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Scioto County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Seneca County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Shelby County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Stark County | 21 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Summit County | 159 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Trumbull County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Tuscarawas County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Union County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Van Wert County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Vinton County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Warren County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Washington County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Wayne County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Williams County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Wood County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Wyandot County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
Season
When it is recorded
In Cuyahoga County
Not enough evidence
Most records come from a single year, so a season is not shown yet. Based on 41 records in 7 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Records per week from 41 records in 7 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Merlin | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 4 | 4 | 468 |
| Jan 11–17 | 5 | 4 | 502 |
| Jan 18–24 | 1 | 1 | 393 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 380 |
| Feb 1–7 | 1 | 1 | 590 |
| Feb 8–14 | 1 | 1 | 504 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 455 |
| Feb 22–28 | 6 | 4 | 583 |
| Mar 1–7 | 1 | 1 | 567 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 750 |
| Mar 15–21 | 1 | 1 | 819 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 780 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 1,014 |
| Apr 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 1,655 |
| Apr 12–18 | 1 | 1 | 2,306 |
| Apr 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 1,857 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 2 | 1 | 4,135 |
| May 3–9 | 1 | 1 | 2,830 |
| May 10–16 | 0 | 0 | 2,640 |
| May 17–23 | 0 | 0 | 2,938 |
| May 24–30 | 0 | 0 | 2,903 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 0 | 0 | 2,621 |
| Jun 7–13 | 0 | 0 | 2,326 |
| Jun 14–20 | 0 | 0 | 2,465 |
| Jun 21–27 | 0 | 0 | 2,426 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 0 | 0 | 2,632 |
| Jul 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 2,765 |
| Jul 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 2,898 |
| Jul 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 2,860 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 0 | 0 | 2,736 |
| Aug 2–8 | 0 | 0 | 3,021 |
| Aug 9–15 | 0 | 0 | 2,627 |
| Aug 16–22 | 0 | 0 | 2,732 |
| Aug 23–29 | 0 | 0 | 2,388 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 0 | 0 | 3,076 |
| Sep 6–12 | 2 | 2 | 3,578 |
| Sep 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 3,735 |
| Sep 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 3,328 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 0 | 0 | 2,834 |
| Oct 4–10 | 2 | 2 | 2,275 |
| Oct 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 1,937 |
| Oct 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 1,181 |
| Oct 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 1,172 |
| Nov 1–7 | 3 | 2 | 893 |
| Nov 8–14 | 2 | 1 | 854 |
| Nov 15–21 | 1 | 1 | 485 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 552 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 448 |
| Dec 6–12 | 4 | 2 | 498 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 458 |
| Dec 20–26 | 1 | 1 | 575 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 2 | 2 | 709 |
In Ohio
Early August to late April, middle week Dec 20–26
Middle week · Dec 20–26
This week · Nov 8–14
Show over the bars
Records per week from 610 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 477 dates. Latest record: December 2025.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Merlin | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 43 | 8 | 6,211 |
| Jan 11–17 | 21 | 7 | 5,146 |
| Jan 18–24 | 29 | 9 | 4,645 |
| Jan 25–31 | 17 | 7 | 4,698 |
| Feb 1–7 | 36 | 8 | 6,023 |
| Feb 8–14 | 19 | 9 | 5,888 |
| Feb 15–21 | 9 | 6 | 5,436 |
| Feb 22–28 | 16 | 9 | 6,846 |
| Mar 1–7 | 7 | 5 | 8,321 |
| Mar 8–14 | 6 | 6 | 10,384 |
| Mar 15–21 | 6 | 4 | 12,620 |
| Mar 22–28 | 5 | 4 | 13,949 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 3 | 3 | 19,661 |
| Apr 5–11 | 6 | 3 | 26,860 |
| Apr 12–18 | 6 | 4 | 39,925 |
| Apr 19–25 | 7 | 5 | 41,623 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 8 | 5 | 56,391 |
| May 3–9 | 5 | 4 | 52,952 |
| May 10–16 | 5 | 3 | 53,785 |
| May 17–23 | 5 | 4 | 57,698 |
| May 24–30 | 4 | 3 | 54,651 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 3 | 2 | 53,099 |
| Jun 7–13 | 4 | 3 | 53,700 |
| Jun 14–20 | 3 | 1 | 56,625 |
| Jun 21–27 | 1 | 1 | 55,361 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 2 | 2 | 58,477 |
| Jul 5–11 | 6 | 3 | 61,336 |
| Jul 12–18 | 4 | 2 | 64,722 |
| Jul 19–25 | 2 | 1 | 69,753 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 5 | 2 | 59,416 |
| Aug 2–8 | 7 | 5 | 59,712 |
| Aug 9–15 | 13 | 7 | 55,994 |
| Aug 16–22 | 7 | 3 | 54,328 |
| Aug 23–29 | 6 | 4 | 51,772 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 10 | 5 | 57,167 |
| Sep 6–12 | 27 | 9 | 59,075 |
| Sep 13–19 | 7 | 5 | 54,543 |
| Sep 20–26 | 11 | 8 | 45,860 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 9 | 5 | 43,180 |
| Oct 4–10 | 16 | 8 | 37,841 |
| Oct 11–17 | 10 | 9 | 30,824 |
| Oct 18–24 | 9 | 7 | 21,156 |
| Oct 25–31 | 11 | 5 | 19,021 |
| Nov 1–7 | 20 | 7 | 14,172 |
| Nov 8–14 | 10 | 4 | 12,621 |
| Nov 15–21 | 11 | 5 | 7,965 |
| Nov 22–28 | 12 | 7 | 8,136 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 18 | 6 | 6,083 |
| Dec 6–12 | 30 | 8 | 6,004 |
| Dec 13–19 | 22 | 8 | 5,423 |
| Dec 20–26 | 29 | 10 | 5,661 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 22 | 5 | 8,459 |
What these results show
These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.
Relatives
In the same genus
Other Falco recorded in Cuyahoga County
Identification
How to identify it
Look-alikes
Land cover
Often confused with
- Cooper's Hawk Astur cooperii313 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus256 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- American Kestrel Falco sparverius230 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus196 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus72 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.
Land cover where it is recorded
| Land cover | Its recordsAll Ohio records |
|---|---|
| Developed | 74%49% |
| Forest | 7%31% |
| Wetland | 7%5% |
| Open water | 5%3% |
| Farmland | 5%11% |
| Barren | 2%0.6% |
| Grassland and shrub | 0.5%0.9% |
From 217 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Finer identifications
Some Ohio records of this species were identified to a subspecies:
- Falco columbarius columbariusMerlin (Taiga)subspecies
Every one of these records counts toward the Merlin's season above.
Why some records go further than species
Many species vary from place to place. Groups of a species that look or sound a little different, and live in different areas, can be named as subspecies. Observers and experts only identify a record that far when it shows enough detail to tell them apart. Records without that detail count at the species level.
Names: Catalogue of Life.
Sources
Where these results come from
- Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
- Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
- See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.
Records behind the Ohio result
610 records from 2 datasets.
- iNaturalist Research-grade Observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 602 recordsiNaturalist contributors, iNaturalist (2026). iNaturalist Research-grade Observations. iNaturalist.org. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ab3s5x accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
- iNaturalist observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 8 recordsiNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed 2026-11-13
To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).
A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.