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Bird Sightings : Hebrides : Gyr Falcon

Gyr Falcon

(Gerfalcon, Gyrfalcon, Falcon Hawk, Gyrkin)

Falco rusticolus

Gaelic: Gearr-sheabhag

 

Photography © Julie Sievewright
Habost - Isle of Lewis - Outer Hebrides (Western Isles)
April 25th, 2010

"here is a picture of the White Gyr Falcon I saw on Habost machair, just behind the dunes ..."

 

Our Gyr Falcon photographs

Gyr /Saker Falcon Hybrid	Gyr Falcon Grey morph	Gyr Falcon White morph

 

• Gyr Falcon
• Falco rusticolus
• 3 UK records a year, only 126 records 1958 - 2004 BTO
• WI: Very rare visitor (five or less records) TBC
• Breeds: Arctic & sub-Arctic coasts & islands. Europe, North America, Asia, Greenland to North Siberia, North Canada,
• Winter: South to North Europe, Central Asia, North USA
• Habitat: Tundra, open forest, coastal, mountains
• Diet: medium-sized birds (but will take on a swan!) some mammals, (usually as flies low across ground)
• Largest, heaviest falcon species. Very strong. Longer-tailed bird & pointed wings are stockier & broader Peregrine's. Coloration ranges from almost all-white to very dark birds.

 

The g is pronounced like the j in jar.

The male gyrfalcon is sometimes called a gyrkin.

 

The Gyr Falcon used to be divided into several different subspecies. Nowadays the variations in the falcon are classified according to adult colour phase.

Adult: Grey morph	Adult White morph	Adult Dark morph
Grey above Below white with dark streaks Flight feathers distinctly paler than wing linings Moustache mark (narrow) Pale "eyebrow" Grey tail has thin white bands The immature bird similar to the adult, but has browner plumage	White plumage Back and wings have black barring White tail The immature bird similar to the adult, but darker	Dark brown above Underparts are heavily streaked Flight feathers are paler than underwing Dark tail The immature bird similar to the adult

 

The Gyr Falcon is the largest of the falcons.

	Length	Wingspan	Weight (ranges from hunting to fat weight)
Males	48 - 61cm 19 - 24 inches	110 - 130 cm 43 - 51 inches	850 -1300g
Females	51 - 65cm 20 to 26 inches	124 - 160cm 49 - 64 inches	1400 - 2000g

 

A Gyr Falcon has long broad wings, long stout toes, a long square tail, and massive pectoral muscles which make it a very strong and powerful hunting bird.

Traditionally the Gyr falcon was the most valuable hunting bird. It was considered a great honour to hunt with it, and only the very wealthy, monarchs or renowned military commanders did so.

The Gyr Falcon eats birds and mammals. Bird prey can be as large as a goose, and include gulls, crows or even other raptors. Mammals can be the 3x the weight of the gyr falcon itself.

The Latin for a circle is gyrus. Unlike other falcons the Gyr Falcon circles as it searches for it's prey. Usually it's hunting flight is horizontal, prey killed on the ground.

The only predator of Gyr Falcons are Golden Eagles.

 

 

Gyr Falcon records in the Western Isles

Very rare visitor (five or less records) TBC

 

The chart below shows how abundant the Gyr Falcon is during a month or when you are more likely to see it.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D

(Source: Outer Hebrides Birds Checklist)

 

 

 

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