This bird of the far north is rarely seen in the lower forty-eight states, except those of us who watch Nature on Public Broadcasting. This bird, the largest of the falcons, is the official bird of the Northwest Territories in Canada. Gyrfalcons generally stay in the north in winter, but with some regularity, if not commonly, they appear south of the border in the northern plains or more often on the east coast.
These white or blackish or gray-brown raptors feed on large birds, such as ptarmigan, gulls, ducks or other shorebirds. Also, they swoop down on Arctic hare before they become too heavy to lift. The nest is usually high on a cliff. The four or so whitish or light brown eggs with tiny reddish spots may be placed in the nest of a raven or hawk. Particularly when alarmed, they give a deep kwah kwah kwah. The thrill of seeing one in the south would rival that of seeing the Snowy Owl, another occasional winter visitor to the northern tier of states.
The only other bird with a strong resemblance to it is the Peregrine Falcon, which has darker facial markings and darker top of the head. Both species are found in the Old World as well. Although not nearly as fancied as the Peregrine Falcon, the Gyrfalcon has been trained by falconers to hunt birds and mammals. The Gyrfalcon does not make the spectacular “stoops” or dives of the other falcon, but hits its prey by powerful ground level attacks. The total length is 22 inches and weight 3.1 pounds, both much larger than the Peregrine, but its wingspan is 47 inches, only slightly greater than the Peregrine, suggestive of its slower flight. Interestingly, female falcons are larger than males, and they are preferred by falconers.
Traditionally, all the day-hunting, large, predatory birds were grouped in the same order, but that question is unsettled. The falcons are placed in their own family—the Falconidae. The scientific name of the Gyrfalcon is Falco rusticolus. This was the name given to it by the “Father of Taxonomy,” Carolus Linnaeus, in 1758. They are all fast flyers with pointed wings that appear swept back, like a jet’s wings. None of them soar, as do the hawks, eagles, and vultures. For further research, good sources include: if you want photographs, then check out National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds (Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York, 1998); if you prefer paintings and state of the art descriptions, I recommend National Audubon Society: The Sibley Guide to Birds (Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York, 2000).
When John James Audubon painted Gyrfalcons almost two hundred years ago, he referred to them as Icelandic or Jer Falcons. One of the birds shows the characteristic pointed, swept back wings. They were the first he had ever seen and he found them in Labrador. I have attached a photograph of the painting below as it appears in The Birds of America (with foreword and caption commentary by William Vogt, MacMillan Company, 1942). Prints are also downloadable from the National Audubon website.
On a personal note, having been fascinated by this book as a child, sitting on the floor at my grandfather’s house, I was particularly awed by the Peregrine Falcons, shown with bloody beaks while standing over their prey. The Gyrfalcons are painted without violence, but, ironically, Audubon posed specimens that were shot. However, he did thorough examination of the birds, contributing greatly to science.
