Gyrfalcon - Falco rusticolus

Description

• 3 color phases- white, black, and gray all streaked with black
• No moustache or head markings unlike the other falcons

Size

• Length: 22" (56 cm)
• Wingspan: 48-63" (1.2-1.6 m)

Range

• Arctic tundra and rock cliffs near water, coastal beaches and marshes
• Alaska, Canada, and Greenland south to central Canada and Northern U.S.

Diet

• Birds, especially arctic ptarmigan
• Occasionally, large ducks and geese

Voice

• "Ke-a, Ke-a, Ke-a"

Nesting

• Rock ledge lined with sticks, grass, and moss
• Lay 4 heavily spotted reddish-brown eggs
• Eggs incubate for 4 weeks tended by the female
• Fledgelings leave the nest at 7 weeks after hatching

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