The Majestic Gyrfalcon, Winter’s Regal Visitor
WINTER SENDS WONDROUS BIRDS down from the Arctic. Unrivaled among these visitors is the majestic Gyrfalcon. Gyrfalcons are among the largest falcons in the world, with the female—the larger of the sexes—outranking even a Red-tailed Hawk in size.
With a name derived from an Old Norse word for “spear,” the Gyrfalcon was a medieval falconer’s prize, reserved for royalty. Kublai Khan, it is said, kept two hundred.
When hunting, the Gyrfalcon flies swiftly and low, just above the ground, hugging contours to conceal its attack. A Gyrfalcon is capable of overtaking even the fastest waterfowl, some of which can fly sixty miles an hour.
On its summer range on the tundra, the falcon feeds mostly on ptarmigan. But in winter, it is opportunistic, chasing down shorebirds, ducks, partridges, and even small rodents. By December, a small number of Gyrfalcons have flown south to the northern states, where they will spend the winter in areas of open expanse, such as farmlands or coastal areas. Perhaps the prince of falcons awaits you out there.