FALCONS 



85 



the relentless pursuer will rise above his victim, and then in a few moments will come the 

 savage and certain downward |)lunj:;c, and the clutch of the merciless talons which means 

 death in midair. 



Because of these (|ua]ities the Falcons, with a few exceptions, such as the American 

 Sparrow Hawk, are hij^jhly destructive to other birds; yet their bravery, skill, flcetness, 

 and determination challenge the admiration of man, and often enlist his protection, or at 

 any rate stay his hand which wfuild be raised against a destroyer less courageous and 

 less picturesque. 



The nests of the Falcons are less bulky than are those of the Hawks and some species 

 lay their eggs on a bare rock or in a hollow tree. The number of eggs varies from two to 

 five but is most often four. 



.'\. O. U. Number 353 



Other Name. — Greenland Gyrfalcon. 



General Description. — Lenglli : male, 22 inches ; 

 female. 24 inches. Spread of wings. 50 to 55 inches. 

 Plumage, white. Tarsus covered with feathers ahout 

 Yi down on front and sides, the feathers meeting at the 

 back. 



Color. — Anui.TS : Entire l^lumagc, ti'hile, the feathers 

 of back, shoulders, middle and lesser wing-coverts 

 with pale ashy drop-shaped crescents or arrow- 

 head spots, the number varying with the individual ; bill, 

 bluish-horn, darker at tip; cere, edges of eyelids, and 

 feet, livid bluish ; claws, blue-black ; iris, brown. Young: 



WHITE GYRFALCON 

 Fcilco islandus Bniiinich 



See Color Plate 50 

 Differing from adults only in being more heavily 



marked above and below, with dark brown in longitu- 

 dinal streaks and spots. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: In cavities of cliffs; com- 

 posed of sticks, seaweed, and other materials which 

 happen to be handy. Eggs : 2 to 4. whitish, so heavily 

 spotted and suffused with different shades of reddish- 

 brown as almost to appear uniformly of that color, with 

 some spots of darker brown. 



Distribution. — .Arctic regions; resident in Green- 

 land ; in winter rarely south to Ontario, Nova Scotia, 

 and Maine. 



GRAY GYRFALCON 



Faico rusticolus 



.\. O. u. 



Description. — Differs from White Gyrfalcon only in 

 color. .Vdclts : General color, gray with darker 

 markings ; above about equally divided between the pale 

 bkiish-gray and the darker bars, crescents, or spots; on 

 head and neck, lighter shades I'reTailini) : under parts, 

 whitish, striped, streaked, or spotted ivith dusky ; bars 

 of tail, well marked, the light and dark ones about 

 equal in width; bill, bluish; cere, and feet, bluish-gray; 

 iris, brown. Young: Upper parts, browner; head, 



rusticolus Linncvns 



Xumber 354 



more narrowlv streaked 



darker shades ; under 



with 

 parts more heavily streaked. 



Nest and Eggs.— Nest: On cliffs or in 

 Eggs: Not distinguishable from those of the 

 Gyrfalcon. 



Distribution.— Arctic regions; breeds in 

 America from Alaska east to southern Greenland ; m 

 winter casual south to British Columbia, Kansas, Wis- 

 consin. Ontario, and Maine. 



trees. 

 White 



Arctic 



GYRFALCON 

 Falco rusticolus gyrfaico Linnceus 



A. O, U. Xuniber 354a 



Other Name.— MacFarlane's Gyrfalcon. 



General Description. — Length. 24 inches ; spread of 

 wings. 50 to 55 inches. Color above, grayish-brown ; 

 below, white, streaked. Tarsus feathered half-way 

 down the front and sides. 



Color. — Adults: Upper parts, brownish-gray or 

 grayish-brown, slightly marked with buffy-white; head, 

 unstreaked; under parts, ivhitc heavily streaked with 

 qrayish-brown ; a pronounced black mustache ; tail 

 closely barred with light and dark of about equal 

 widths ; bill, bluish horn color ; legs, bluish-gray ; claws, 

 black; iris, brown. Imm.\ture: Similar to adults, but 



.'^ce Color I^Iate 50 



head sometimes slightly streaked with lighter, and back 

 almost uniform. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: On ledges of cliffs; com- 

 posed of sticks and small twigs and lined with feathers 

 and other soft materials. Eggs ; 2 to 4, commonly 

 3 or 4, varying from dull yellowish-red to a deep 

 burnt-umber, finely and evenly speckled with reddish- 

 brown. 



Distribution. — .Arctic regions; breeds in Ellesmere 

 Land, northern Greenland, and east to Franz Josef 

 Land ; in winter casual south to Minnesota, New York, 

 Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine. 



