Gyrfalcon: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the gyrfalcon lives – recorded in 9 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Falco rusticolus
Group	Birds of prey
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	9 countries
Continents	Europe, North America
Class	Bird
Order	Falconiformes
Family	Falconidae

Where does the gyrfalcon live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the gyrfalcon in 9 countries and territories across Europe and North America. In Belgium it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the gyrfalcon endangered?

The gyrfalcon’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the gyrfalcon?

The gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) is a bird in the order Falconiformes and the family Falconidae, genus Falco. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the gyrfalcon

The gyrfalcon ( or ) (Falco rusticolus), also abbreviated as gyr, is a bird of prey and the largest species in the falcon family, Falconidae. A high-latitude species, the gyrfalcon breeds on the Arctic coasts and tundra, the islands of northern North America and Siberia, where it is mainly a resident species. Some gyrfalcons disperse more widely after the breeding season or in winter, and individual vagrancy can take birds for long distances. Its plumage varies with location, with birds being coloured from all-white to dark grey-brown. These colour variations are called morphs. Like other falcons, it shows sexual dimorphism, with the female much larger than the male.

For centuries, the gyrfalcon has been valued as a hunting bird. Typical prey includes the ptarmigan and waterfowl, which it may attack in flight; and it also hunts fish and small mammals.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Gyrfalcon (revision 1380683274), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q177688 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).