My Years of Being a Jinx

Over the years I have had the opportunity to see and learn about many birds, but the Gyrfalcon is by far my favorite.

I remember a report I had to write in grade school about my favorite animal.  Most of the class chose animals like bears, tigers, lions, etc.  However, I was different and chose the Gyrfalcon. 

The Gyrfalcon is the largest falcon.  They live in Arctic regions in North America, Europe and Asia.  Gyrfalcons have four color phases--white, silver or gray, brown and black.  From the moment I chose the Gyrfalcon for that report I was hooked.  The Gyrfalcon became my favorite because of it’s beautiful markings, along with the sheer power this bird possesses.  The beauty, power and the rarity of the Gyrfalcon back in the middle ages led to it becoming a falconry bird that was only possessed by kings and queens.  Even today in the falconry world it is one of the most prized birds.

 

Where I grew up in Western New York we would occasionally have the opportunity to see wild Gyrfalcons.  For many years when a Gyrfalcon was reported my family would go looking, and without fail when we showed up we would have just missed the bird.  From other birders we would hear “…Oh, it was just here”, or,”It is always here from blank time to blank.” Then, we would show up at those times and no one would see it.  We would stay for hours and then finally leave without seeing the bird.  Then, the next day we would hear, “Oh, the bird showed up 15 minutes after you left,” or we would stick around, leave for a few minutes to go look at other fields where the bird could possibly be, see nothing, return to the original site and just miss the bird in that time frame.  This went on for years, and many of the local birders would joke that I was the jinx with the Gyrfalcon.

Finally, on 11/24/1995 I saw my first Gray or Silver phase Gyrfalcon in Buffalo, New York, chasing a flock of pigeons.  We had been searching for about 20 to 30 minutes before we saw this flock of pigeons really moving, and then we saw it-- this magnificent large falcon, about the size of the Red-tailed Hawk, chasing the flock of pigeons.  We quickly jumped out of the car and watched the chase for about 20 to 30 minutes before the bird went behind some buildings and it became more difficult to see.  To actually see the power and the beauty in my favorite bird of prey was just amazing, and all of those years of it being a jinx bird were erased.

A few years later I saw a Silver phase Gyrfalcon in Canada while we were watching a Yellow-billed Loon.  Even though the Loon was just as nice and special to see, I found myself watching the Falcon more than the Loon.  The Loon was special, but for someone who has always loved birds of prey the Gyrfalcon was definitely more fun to watch.  This time the Falcon was just sitting in a nearby tree looking out over the River where the group of birders where watching the Loon.  It was just amazing to watch it sit and preen while watching the snow falling around us.

A Gyrfalcon wearing a falconer's hood

In the fall of 1998 I had the opportunity to attend New York State’s Falconry meet and watch people hunt with their birds of prey.  The two birds that excited me the most were watching this guy fly two of his Gyrfalcons.  One was a White phase and the other was a Gray/Silver Phase--both beautiful birds.  To watch these magnificent birds and see how quickly and easily they can fly and maneuver in the air, and to see the power they possessed was just fantastic.  Watching these two birds fly just made me even more impressed with the gyrfalcon and.  I now have more of a love and appreciation for this amazing bird of prey.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, Field Studies Coordinator