Gyrfalcon
Falco rusticolus
Identification Tips:
- Very large falcon
- Long, broad-based, pointed wings
- Short, dark, hooked beak
Adult-gray phase:
- Gray upperparts
- Underparts white with dark streaks
- Flight feathers distinctly paler than wing linings
- Thin moustache mark
- Pale supercilium
- Tail gray with thin white bands
- Immature similar to adult but plumage is browner
Adult-white phase:
- White plumage
- Black barring on back and wings
- White tail
- Immature similar to adult but plumage is variably darker
Adult-dark phase:
- Dark brown upperparts
- Underparts heavily streaked
- Flight feathers distinctly paler than wing linings
- Dark tail
- Immature similar to adult
Similar species:
The long, pointed wings and long tail mark this bird as being a falcon.
It is most likely to be confused with other large falcons. The white phase
Gyrfalcon is distinctive. The darker phases of the Gyrfalcon are somewhat
similar to Prairie and Peregrine Falcons. The Gyrfalcon is larger, has
broader wings and tail, and pale flight feathers contrasting with darker wing
linings. The Prairie Falcon has a black underwing patch while the Peregrine
has evenly dark underwings. At rest, the wingtips of the Gyrfalcon do not
reach as far down the tail as the other falcons.