The Gyrfalcon, the largest falcon, is an iconic bird of the circumpolar arctic and subarctic. Thisspecies nests primarily on precipitous cliff faces and typically utilizes nests built by other species(particularly Common Raven, Golden Eagle, and Rough-legged Hawk) (Booms et al. 2008).Gyrfalcon main prey includes bird species ranging in size from passerines to geese whileptarmigan are the preferred prey. Although not well documented, in winter this species movessouth throughout Canada and sometimes into the northern lower 48. Current population on theNorth Slope (tundrius subspecies) is estimated at 250 breeding pairs (USFWS 2000).
