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Gyrfalcon

Silhouette FalconsFalcons
GyrfalconFalco rusticolus
  • ORDER: Falconiformes
  • FAMILY: Falconidae

Basic Description

The largest falcon in the world, the ghostly Gyrfalcon is a fierce predator in the High Arctic, where it chases down ptarmigans in flight or plummets from the sky at breathtaking speeds to strike prey to the ground. Nesting on remote cliffs in the far reaches of Canada and Alaska, Gyrfalcons in North America are safe from most human disturbance but face challenges from a warming climate. They are rare winter visitors to open habitats in the northern United States.

More ID Info
image of range map for Gyrfalcon
Year-roundBreedingMigrationNonbreeding
Range map provided by Birds of the World
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Find This Bird

Because Gyrfalcons breed so far north, most people encounter them as rarities spotted during winter in the northernmost U.S. and southern Canada. In these areas the birds look for tundra-like habitat including plains, open agricultural land, and coastlines. Peregrine Falcons can look very similar, so be sure to look for the Gyrfalcons bulky body and relatively thick, blunt-tipped wings. Gyrfalcons are used to perching on the ground, so don’t just search the skies—be sure to scan open stretches of ground, where they may be standing at rest or sheltering next to a rock or shrub.

Other Names

  • Halcón Gerifalte (Spanish)
  • Faucon gerfaut (French)
  • Cool Facts