Territory / Location

The Gyrfalcon thrives in some of the harshest climates on Earth. This denizen of the mountains and high arctic tundra is a circumpolar species, found throughout the region of the North Pole. It nests in the arctic and subarctic regions of North America, Europe, Asia, Greenland, and Iceland.

Habitat

Gyrfalcons breed on arctic tundra. When they come south for winter, they look for similar habitat: open fields, coastlines, dunes, prairie, and shrubsteppe.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Diet

But it preys on many other bird species, including sage-grouse, jaegers, gulls, terns, fulmars, auks, pheasants, hawks, owls, ravens, and songbirds. It can also hunt mammals as big as hares.

Size / Weight

Nesting

It breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra, and the islands of northern North America, Europe, and Asia. It is mainly a resident there also, but some gyrfalcons disperse more widely after the breeding season, or in winter, laying 1-5 eggs.

Life Expectancy

13 years old average age in the wild

20 years old in captivity

Scientific 
Classification

KINGDOM

Animalia

PHYLUM

Chordata

CLASS

Aves

ORDER

Falconiformes

FAMILY

Falconidae

GENUS

Falco

SPECIES

F. columbarius

Did you know?

The gyrfalcon was originally thought to be a bird of tundra and mountains only; however, in June 2011, it was revealed to spend considerable periods during the winter on sea ice far from land.