Listen to the Gyrfalcon
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Gyrfalcon
The Gyrfalcon is a bird in the family Falconidae (order Falconiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 58 cm.
What does the Gyrfalcon sound like?
Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
The recordings here are labelled as falco rusticolus. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
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.
Related birds in the genus Falco
More from the family Falconidae
Frequently asked questions
What does a Gyrfalcon sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the Gyrfalcon on this page, including its falco rusticolus. Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
Is the Gyrfalcon endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Gyrfalcon as “least concern”.
What family does the Gyrfalcon belong to?
The Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) belongs to the family Falconidae in the order Falconiformes.
Sources & credits
- Falco rusticolus by Bubulcus – CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q177688 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Gyrfalcon – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Falco_rusticolus_white.jpg : Ólafur Larsen derivative work: Bogbumper ( talk ) – CC BY-SA 2.0