Eurasian Goshawk vs Merlin

Accipiter gentilis compared with Falco columbarius

Key Differences

• Eurasian Goshawk is Near Threatened while Merlin is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian Goshawk	Merlin
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Falconiformes (Falconiformes)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Falconidae
Genus	Accipiter	Falco
Species	Accipiter gentilis	Falco columbarius

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian Goshawk and Merlin share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Eurasian Goshawk

NT — Near Threatened

Merlin

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian Goshawk	Merlin
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Eurasian Goshawk

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Merlin

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Eurasian Goshawk

Eurasian Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Merlin

Merlin (Falco columbarius) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States