Merlin, Falco columbarius, is a species of day-flying bird of prey found in grassland, heathland and shrub, wetland, woodland and forest and unvegetated or sparsely vegetated land ecosystems.

Falco columbarius has a breeding population size of 8100-13600 pairs and a breeding range size of 448000 square kilometres in the EU27. The breeding population trend in the EU27 is Stable in the short term and Increasing in the long term.

The EU population status of Falco columbarius was assessed as Secure, because the species does not meet any of the IUCN Red List criteria for threatened or Near Threatened, or the criteria for Depleted or Declining (the EU27 population or range has not declined by 20% or more since 1980).