Bird name:

Gyrfalcon

Falco rusticolus

Order

FALCONIFORMES

Family

Falcons (Falconidae)

Code 4

GYRF

Code 6

FALRUS

ITIS

175599

Breeding Location:

Lakes, Seashore, rocky or sandy, Open landscapes, Rivers, Rocky cliffs

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Rare

Egg Color:

White, buff or pale yellow with small red spots

Number of Eggs:

3 - 8

Incubation Days:

28 - 36

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Uses old tree nests of Rough-legged Hawk or raven.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

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General

Gyrfalcon: Large northern falcon that has three color morphs: dark, white, and gray. Dark morph is dark gray with pale streaks on throat and upper breast. White morph is mostly white with dark spots and markings on wings, nape, and sides. Gray morph is intermediate. Eyes, bill, and legs of all three morphs are yellow. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has gray eyes, bill, and legs.

Range and Habitat

Gyrfalcon: Breeds on tundra in northern Alaska and Canada. Spends winters in breeding range and regularly (but rarely) south to the northern tier of states, especially along coasts. Found in boreal forests, cliffs, and coastal areas.

Breeding and Nesting

Gyrfalcon: Three to eight white, buff, or pale yellow eggs with small red spots are laid in an abandoned stick nest, usually built by ravens. Incubation ranges from 28 to 36 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Gyrfalcon: Prey consists of ptarmigans, ground squirrels, hares, mice, voles, ducks, and other birds; hunts while soaring.

Vocalization

Gyrfalcon: Alarm call is a deep, harsh "hyaik-hyaik-hyaik" or "kack-kack-kack."

Similar Species

Gyrfalcon: Prairie and Peregrine falcons resemble darker morphs, but are smaller with thinner wings and tails, and lack pale flight feathers contrasting with darker wing linings; Prairie Falcon has a black underwing patch while the Peregrine has evenly dark underwings.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Nape

Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America