Bird Album
Gyrfalcon
Falco rusticolus Linnaeus, 1758
48–61 cmLength58 cmWingspan1.4 kgWeight
It is a large falcon with plumage ranging from entirely white to dark gray-brown.
How to identify
Field marks
- Plumage ranges from entirely white to dark gray-brown
- Wings pointed
- Brown morph has creamy-yellow markings on the crown and nape
Male, female and young
The female is much larger than the male; juveniles are darker and browner than adults.
Where and when it's recorded
No records at the public birding hotspots we track. It may be rare, remote, or its locations protected.
About
The gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), also abbreviated as gyr, is a bird of prey and the largest species in the falcon family, Falconidae. A high-latitude species, the gyrfalcon breeds on the Arctic coasts and tundra, the islands of northern North America and Siberia, where it is mainly a resident species. Some gyrfalcons disperse more widely after the breeding season or in winter, and individual vagrancy can take birds for long distances.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Gyrfalcon?
The Gyrfalcon is about 48–61 cm long, with a wingspan of 58 cm and weighs around 1.4 kg.
Where does the Gyrfalcon live?
Its breeding range: North America, Palearctic: Arctic Europe, Asia and North America.
Is the Gyrfalcon endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Gyrfalcon as Least Concern.
What does the Gyrfalcon eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Gyrfalcon in?
It belongs to the family Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae), order Falconiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 48–61 cm
- Wingspan
- 58 cm
- Weight
- 1.4 kg
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 368 mm
- Tail
- 202 mm
- Bill
- 36 mm
- Tarsus
- 57 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America, Palearctic: Arctic Europe, Asia and North America
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Falconiformes
- Family
- Caracaras, Falcons Falconidae
- Genus
- Falco
Other birds in the genus Falco
Lesser KestrelFalco naumanni
Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
Rock KestrelFalco rupicolus
Malagasy KestrelFalco newtoni
Mauritius KestrelFalco punctatus
Seychelles KestrelFalco araeus
Spotted KestrelFalco moluccensis
Nankeen KestrelFalco cenchroides
American KestrelFalco sparverius
Greater KestrelFalco rupicoloides
Fox KestrelFalco alopex
Grey KestrelFalco ardosiaceus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
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