86 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



BLACK GYRFALCON 

 Falco rusticolus obsoletus Gnielin 



A. O. U. Xumber 354b See Color Plate 50 



Description. — A dark phase of the Gyrfalcon ; uni- 

 lornily dusky or brownish-slate, upper parts without 

 bars, except broken ones on tail and under parts almost 

 black with a few inconspicuous streaks or spots of 

 buff. 



Nest and Eggs. — Similar to those of the Gyrfalcon. 



Distribution. — Breeds in Ungava ; south in winter 

 to Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, and Maine ; casually 

 to New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and 

 Rhode Island. 



The White Gyrfalcon, the Gray Gyrfalcon. tiic 

 Gyrfalcon, and the Black Gyrfalcon form a siib- 

 gentis of the falco genus in the Falcon family, 

 known as hicrofalco, a word signifying " sacred 

 or noble Falcon." They are Arctic birds and 

 never come very far south of the Arctic circle. 

 All of these northern Falcons were formerly in 

 great demand for the sport of hawking. Their 



usually they build near bird rocks from which 

 they obtain the young without much trouble. He 

 mentions having seen one with a yoimg Kitti- 

 wake in each foot, and two Sandpipers carried 

 in the same manner. He did not regard its 

 rapidity of flight as very great. He had for years 

 kept Pigeons and lost only two yotmg birds which 

 were seized when at rest. Almost every day, 



Drawing by R. I. Brasher 



GYRFALCON (J nat. size) 

 A visitor from " Greenland's icy mountains " 



flight is much swifter than that of the Peregrine 

 or Duck Hawk, and they are very tcnaciotis of 

 grrp when they have captured their prey, but 

 they do not equal in dash and spirit the smaller 

 Peregrine. 



The White Gyrfalcon is seldom foimd even in 

 mid-winter south of the 50th parallel. According 

 to Holboell they are the most abundant Falcon 

 in Greenland, where they breed in January. They 

 prey chiefly upon waterfowl and Ptarmigans ; 



especially in October and November, these 

 Falcons would chase the old Pigeons imsuccess- 

 fvilly. They were not very shy and were occa- 

 sionally decoyed and killed by throwing a dead 

 bird toward them. 



They go southerly along the coast of Green- 

 land from September to November ; at this time 

 thev are often seen fighting with the Ravens and 

 will a]5proach qtiite close to the houses of the 

 Danes. 



