| Revision as of 19:24, 18 March 2004 editRobbot (talk | contribs)94,607 editsm Andre Engels - Robot-assisted disambiguation: Falco← Previous edit | Revision as of 21:28, 11 May 2004 edit undoAbigail-II (talk | contribs)6,281 editsm Layout: added margin between text and table; Layout: align table and text; Fixed illegal HTML commentNext edit → | ||
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| <tr><th bgcolor=pink>Gyr Falcon</th></tr> | <tr><th bgcolor=pink>Gyr Falcon</th></tr> | ||
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| <tr><th>'' Falco rusticolus''</th></tr> | <tr><th>'' Falco rusticolus''</th></tr> | ||
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| The '''Gyr Falcon''' ('''''Falco rusticolus'''''), also spelled '''Gyrfalcon''', is a large ]. This species breeds on Arctic coasts and islands of ], ] and ]. It is mainly resident, but some ]s ] more widely, after the breeding season, or in winter. | The '''Gyr Falcon''' ('''''Falco rusticolus'''''), also spelled '''Gyrfalcon''', is a large ]. This species breeds on Arctic coasts and islands of ], ] and ]. It is mainly resident, but some ]s ] more widely, after the breeding season, or in winter. | ||
Revision as of 21:28, 11 May 2004
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| Falco rusticolus |
The Gyr Falcon (Falco rusticolus), also spelled Gyrfalcon, is a large bird of prey. This species breeds on Arctic coasts and islands of North America, Europe and Asia. It is mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely, after the breeding season, or in winter.
It is a bird of tundra and mountains, with cliffs or a few patches of trees. It lays 2-6 eggs on a cliff ledge nest.
This is the largest falcon, with a wingspan similar to Common Buzzard. It is like a large Peregrine Falcon in general structure, but broader-winged and longer-tailed than that species. It usually hunts by horizontal pursuit, rather than the Peregrine's stoop from a height, and takes bird and mammal prey such as Ptarmigan and lemmings.
Plumage is very variable in this species, although typically adults have slate-grey back and wings, and young birds are browner. Sexes are similar. Greenland Gyr Falcons have white plumage, flecked with grey on the back and wings. Other geographical forms are varying intensities of grey in coloration, with Icelandic breeders being the palest, and Eurasian birds considerably darker.