Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) lives in arctic tundra across Northern Hemisphere. It feeds on small mammals birds. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Gyrfalcon
- Males measure just 48-61 cm (19-24 in) and tip the scales at 805-1,350 g, while females stretch to 65 cm and can weigh up to 2,100 g, with an outlier from eastern Siberia recorded at a hefty 2,600 g. Those numbers make the gyrfalcon the world's biggest falcon, dwarfing its swift-stooping cousin the peregrine.
- The gyrfalcon's plumage runs a spectrum from pure white to almost black, a variation tied to a single gene. Researchers found the melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R) gene carries a point mutation perfectly linked to the white-versus-melanic split, and the black colour appears sex-linked, showing up mostly in females.
- Gyrfalcons can swallow prey from a tiny 20 g redpoll up to a 4 kg goose or capercaillie, and they've been recorded hauling adult hares weighing as much as 4.5 kg. That breadth lets them thrive wherever birds or mammals are abundant, from tundra ptarmigan swarms to coastal auks. Their ability to tackle such heavy, struggling quarry.
- A typical gyrfalcon clutch holds 2-4 eggs, each about 58.46 mm × 45 mm and weighing 62 g, and the parents sit on them for roughly 35 days before the chicks hatch at 52 g. After a brief 10-15-day brooding period, the downy fledglings leave the nest and become independent by 3-4 months.
- Although listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, the gyrfalcon now faces a new rival: the peregrine falcon, which has pushed northward since the early 2000s as Arctic summers warm. Peregrines are more aggressive and can overwhelm the less confrontational gyrfalcons, threatening their breeding territories.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeNorthern Hemisphere
HabitatArctic tundra
DietSmall mammals birds
About the Gyrfalcon
Across the icy expanses of the Arctic tundra, the Gyrfalcon reigns as a majestic hunter, its piercing gaze scanning the landscape for the slightest whisper of movement, its powerful wings beating in a slow, deliberate rhythm as it soars effortlessly on the updrafts. With feathers as white as the snow that surrounds it, this ghostly predator moves unseen, a master of stealth and patience, waiting for the perfect moment to strike with lightning-fast precision. As it dives, the Gyrfalcon becomes a blur of speed and power, its wings tucked tight, a true marvel of evolutionary design.
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