LOOK
WHEN YOU
The Gyrfalcon
"When you look, you see a big, sturdy falcon whose beauty radiates from every quality it contains."
Gyrfalcon with Wings Spread. Adapted from “ https://adlayasanimals.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/gyrfalcon-falco-rusticolus/”
​The Gyrfalcon is the biggest true falcon. A true falcon is defined as a species of hawk that hunts prey during the day, has pointed wings, swift, powerful flight, a notch on the beak that forms a “tooth”, plumes called “flags” on their legs, and has a bigger female than male. The males can weigh up to three pounds, while the females can weigh upwards of four pounds.
In addition to its size, the Gyrfalcon displays a beautiful plumage that can be one of a few colors depending on its habitat. The falcon’s plumage can be white with some black bars and spots extending all over its body, primarily on its back. It can also be seen in shades of silver, gray, and dark brown. If the falcon’s plumage is not white, then the spots and bars that extend all over its body may be white, or a lighter shade of their plumage. Unlike many birds, the males and females have no difference in color, only size.
Brown Morph Gyrfalcon. Adapted from “http://animalia.bio/gyrfalcon”
White Morph Gyrfalcon. Adapted from “https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/white-morph-gyrfalcon-spotted-1.3467713”
Silver Morph Gyrfalcon. Adapted from “https://alchetron.com/Gyrfalcon”
Black Morph Gyrfalcon. Adapted from “https://www.sdakotabirds.com/species/gyrfalcon_info.htm”
Gyrfalcon Preying on Mallard. Adapted from “https://www.earthtouchnews.com/natural-world/predator-vs-prey/photo-series-worlds-largest-falcon-tears-into-its-prey-in-snowy-iceland/”
The Gyrfalcon also hunts many types of prey. Its two main prey are Ptarmigan and different species of waterfowl. The Gyrfalcon primarily hunts other species of birds, but it is also known to eat lemmings, ground squirrels, and hares. On the coast, it preys on seagulls, ducks, geese, or any other species it can dig its claws into. The Gyrfalcon is also known to prey on Sage Grouse, a bird that can weigh anywhere from two to five pounds. The size of their prey really shows their true power that they contain with the males only weighing up to three pounds and the females weighing only a little upwards of four pounds. The Gyrfalcon hunts its prey by surprise, preferably from beneath, if possible. Sometimes the Gyrfalcon will pursue its prey from above, but it usually attacks really fast from beneath. It is also usually perched on the ground because it allows it to spot its prey flying above, and to make a sneaky attack from below. It is also not uncommon for the Gyrfalcon to pursue prey over long distances; once it is committed to hunting a prey, it won’t stop until it catches it, or the prey eludes it.
The Gyrfalcon lives in many places, predominantly in the Arctic Tundra of the North on the continents of North America, Europe, and Asia. This habitat is perfect for the Gyrfalcon because it likes to live in open. It will sometimes live further south on the edge of forests, or anywhere that it can hunt for prey in the open. They migrate to these areas between the months of November and April. Depending on the brutality of the season, they will move further South. When it is time to migrate, the Gyrfalcon will move South towards open fields, coastlines, dunes, prairies, or shrub steppe.
Gyrfalcon Range Map. Adapted from “Gyrfalcon” by whatbird.com, 2007, http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/60/_/Gyrfalcon.aspx”
Gyrfalcon Fledglings. Adapted from https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/65674photo_fledgling_gyrfalcons_shedding_their_fluff/
The Gyrfalcon nests and breeds in the Northern Arctic Tundra, which is why it spends most of the year in this habitat. The Gyrfalcon’s nests are typically on cliffs or trees. The Gyrfalcon doesn’t make these nests, but rather makes use of nests previously formed by ravens or golden eagles. These nests are usually made in bowl-shaped depressions on cliffs, so they can be repeatedly used generation after generation. The female lays anywhere from two to five eggs. Both the male and the female play an active role when raising their young. Both of the parents incubate the eggs, but for the most part, the female incubates while the male hunts. The eggs usually take around five weeks until they hatch. 45 to 50 days after being born, the baby Gyrfalcons take their first flight. After three to four months, the fledglings leave and become independent of their parents. Although they become independent of their parents, they may still interact with their siblings throughout the winter season.
By: Daniel Butler