These birds are commonly seen along roadsides, perched on telephone wires or hovering in the air. Merlins breed in open woodlands and savannahs, sometimes in cities. Pairs perform aerial acrobatics high over their nesting site. They often use abandoned nests of similar-sized birds. Males do all of the hunting from courtship through incubation and sometimes through the nestling stage.
Females can capture heavier prey than can males.
These birds were once known as Pigeon Hawks. Prairie Falcons breed in open habitat in mountainous areas, in prairies, and in alpine tundras. Males perform aerial gymnastics and calls in front of the female, who calls back and occasionally joins in flight. Flying low, they flush ground animals, and they can also hover and stoop for prey. When their nest is threatened, the male circles above and the female stays on the nest, leaving only as a last resort.