Birds of Prey: Gyrfalcon

We now move into a new bird of prey species:  the falcons, and our first falcon is the one you find on a Canadian stamp.  Why?  Just look at the North American distribution of this bird from the All About Birds website:

Gyrfalcon Distribution

The Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)  (gyr- is pronounced as in:  jeer) ranges over the whole of Canada, but just because it is largely Canadian in North America doesn't mean it cannot be found elsewhere in the world.  As a matter of fact, it is also flourishing in Northern Europe and Siberia.  On the Global Register of Migratory Species Website we can see its  

Worldwide Distribution

While the gyrfalcon population worldwide is doing well, the Yukon population may be in trouble as noted in Canadian Geographic:

The full research paper by Dave H. Mossop can be found online for reading or downloading:

LONG-TERM STUDIES OF WILLOW PTARMIGAN AND GYRFALCON IN THE YUKON TERRITORY: A COLLAPSING 10-YEAR CYCLE AND ITS APPARENT EFFECT ON THE TOP PREDATOR

  The gyrfalcon stamp was one of a stunning series of Canadian Bird stamps issued in 2016-18:

Birds of Canada Stamp Series

Here is the full picture from which the stamp was taken:

And worldwide, many countries have featured the gyrfalcon on their stamps:

Gyrfalcon Stamps Worldwide 

The Gyrfalcon comes in several color variations and these are divided ino two morphs or color groups:  white and dark,  and the what-when-how (In Depth Tutorials and Information) website has a good fact sheet on the gyrfalcon and its distinguishing features:

Now listen to the gyrfalcon:

Many people confuse falcons and hawks and the Compare Animals website has a good page on distinguishing one from the other:

Compare Falcon vs Hawk

The Internet Bird Collection has an excellent page on the gyrfalcon featuring many stunning videos and photographs:

Internet Bird Collection: Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) 

The gyrfalcon is considered to be the largest falcon in the world as well as one of the fastest. 

Eugene Potapov, one of the world's experts on gyrfalcons (see his book below) provides this excellent video:

Just how fast is the gyrfalcon?  Check out this exciting BBC Earth Unplugged video: 

How Fast Is A Gyrfalcon? | Earth Unplugged

 
In this Peregrine Fund video, join a research group in Alaska traveling by helicopter and then rappelling down cliff faces to observe and study the gyrfalcon:

Think you know everything about the gyrfalcon now?

10 things you didn’t know about Gyrfalcon

 

 

Eager to read more about the gyrfalcon?  Check out the definitive guide:

The Gyrfalcon (2005) by Eugene Potapov and Richard Sale

Birds of Prey: Eagle on Stilts

Photo by Yoky taken at Serengeti National Park, Tanzania [CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is often called the eagle on stilts.  While considered a member of the Accipitroformes (along with most raptors) it has its own family and is distinct from all other birds of prey.

San Diego Zoo:  Secretary Bird

The San Diego Zoo website has a good page on the secretarybird including a theory about its odd name:

 San Diego Zoo:  Secretarybird Info Page

Planet Doc has a good introductory video on the Secretarybird:

Secretary Birds of Africa | Nature

 

Secretarybirds are notorious for their powerful kick which enables them to dine on their favorite prey: snakes, and even the deadly ones!   Watch the amazing Madeline the secretary bird stomp a rubber snake in the interest of scientific research in the Jason Ashfield video:

Secretary Bird Stomps Snake with a Killer Kick

Animalogic presents a comprehensive and entertaining video on the secretarybird:

Secretary Birds: Killer Queens

Join Nikon Birding Adventures in Botswana to find secretarybirds as well as many of their bird and beastly neighbors:

Botswana Birds