Perlin (falconry)

The word perlin is a falconer's term for a cross breed of a peregrine falcon and a merlin. It is much bigger and faster than a merlin, but is not as big as a peregrine so the quarry it takes varies from larger songbirds to small game birds such as hen pheasant. It is less likely to fly as high as a peregrine and usually rings close to the falconer. As a rule, the peregrine is the father and the merlin is the mother.

Other hybrids may occur, such as 3/4 perlins, where there are 3 parts peregrine to 1 part merlin. Hybrids percentages can be as varied as 50/50 to 7/8 and 15/16 perlins.