The 10-year migration count trends for the Merlin suggests mostly stable populations across North America, as 57.1% of 63 total sites recorded statistically significant stable counts during this span and a mix of declines and increases across the continent. Regionally, 60% of count sites in the Gulf Region reported stable populations, while a similar 62% of sites in the Eastern region reported stable populations. Count sites in the Central region reported a mix of trends. The recent 10-year trends are comparable to the 20-year count trends for this species, which seem to reflect a mostly stable population with some notable increases in the West Region while some decreases were observed in other regions over this span.

Winter survey data from the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) suggest increasing 10-year trends (2009-2022) continent-wide, with the annual percent change in population reported to be an increase of almost 3%. A similar increase in population abundance is seen in eBird trend data. The most recent data from eBird reports a 9.5% increase in population over a ten-year period (2012-2022). The Merlin is listed by the IUCN Red List as a Species of Least Concern globally and has been observed to adapt well to human presence in both urban and suburban landscapes. Merlin have expanded their range southward in the East in recent twenty years, often using suburban areas or parks for nesting. Threats to Merlin may be attributed to loss of suitable habitat due to deforestation and agricultural practices such as cutting and burning of vegetation in the Great Plains.