Gyrfalcon vs Merlin
The gyrfalcon is heavier: 1.43 kg against 188.5 g for the merlin, about 7.6 times the weight.
Photo: Falco_rusticolus_white.jpg : Ólafur Larsen derivative work: Bogbumper ( talk ) · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Just a Prairie Boy from Calgary, AB, Canada · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is the difference between a gyrfalcon and a merlin?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- The gyrfalcon is heavier: 1.43 kg against 188.5 g for the merlin, about 7.6 times the weight.
- The gyrfalcon is longer-lived: 12.9 years against 12.5 years for the merlin, about 3% longer.
- Both belong to the genus Falco, so they are close relatives.
- Both are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Side by side
| Gyrfalcon | Merlin | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Falco rusticolus | Falco columbarius |
| Family | Falconidae | Falconidae |
| Order | Falconiformes | Falconiformes |
| Weight | 1.13 kg – 1.74 kg | 162 g – 212 g |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 12.9 years | 12.5 years |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | grassland | woodland |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Countries recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.
Full record: GyrfalconFull record: MerlinCompare other animals