January 2002 -- Normally a bird of forest edges, the merlin has in recent years adapted well to urban life and can now be found in several Canadian cities. This individual, a female, was spotted in downtown Ottawa, just a couple of blocks from where the peregrines have nested since 1997. Several observers in fact reported this bird as a peregrine, but it can be easily distinguished by its much smaller size.
(Photo by Norm Ramsay)
© Canadian Peregrine Foundation