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  1. Home
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  3. Gyrfalcon

Birds · Falconiformes · Falconidae

Gyrfalcon

Falco rusticolus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.

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It is the largest falcon in the world and was historically the most prized bird in falconry, reserved in the Middle Ages for royalty alone.

Weight

800 g – 2.1 kg

Size

53 cm – 56 cm

Life expectancy

13 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Tundra
5countries17parks10same family

Fun facts

  • Unlike the peregrine, it hunts by active pursuit and brute force rather than high-speed stoops.
  • It feeds mainly on birds such as ptarmigan and ducks, supplemented with small mammals.
  • It lives on the Arctic and subarctic tundra of North America, Europe and Asia.

Life cycle and biology

Skeleton type
Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat and environment
Arctic and subarctic tundra of North America, Europe and Asia
Birth weight
Born altricial, ~52 g at birth
Size at birth
~52 g at birth
Sexual maturity
~2 years
Gestation / incubation
35 days
Litter / clutch size
2 to 7 eggs per clutch (most commonly 3-4)

Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animalia.bio

Where to find it

Best time: Winter, when part of the population moves down from the Arctic to more southerly coasts and steppes.

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The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.

Where to see it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 17.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Gyrfalcon — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

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Keep exploring

Based on what we already know about gyrfalcon.

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See full glossary
This page in other languages: Español · Deutsch · Français · Português · Italiano
See its range on the interactive map→
VatnajokullIceland
Thingvellir (Þingvellir)Iceland
AuyuittuqCanada
IvvavikCanada
QuttinirpaaqCanada
SirmilikCanada
Tuktut NogaitCanada
VuntutCanada
SnæfellsjökullIceland
BørgefjellNorway
See all 17 parks
Common EiderLeast Concern

Common Eider

Somateria mollissima

Least Concern

Common Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Least Concern

American Golden Plover

Pluvialis dominica

Least Concern

Sanderling

Calidris alba

Great SkuaLeast Concern

Great Skua

Stercorarius skua

Least Concern

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitor

CountriesNorway
ParksVatnajokullIceland
TagsCarnivore
Carnivore
Diurnal
Solitary
Bird
Tundra
Norway
Canada
Iceland
Denmark
Greenland