These two falcons include Swoop
(left) who is also a Puffkin made by Swibco. 
From his coloring he looks like a Gyrfalcon. Another
Gyrfalcon is the one at right. This one is from Wild
Republic's Audubon Bird collection.
The Gyrfalcon is a large falcon at 22 inches.
The wingspan is about 4 feet. The wings are long and pointed.
The beak is short, dark and hooked.
These falcons inhabit Arctic regions and
prefer nesting on rocky cliffs where they lay their 3 or 4 eggs
on a ledge or the abandoned nest of some other bird. The eggs
are white with brown blotches. The eggs are incubated for 34
to 36 days and the young fledge in about 49 to 56 days.
Gyrfalcons prey on birds and small mammals.
Falcons belong to the Order Ciconiiformes.
They are diurnal flesh eaters. They take live prey, including
birds, mammals and insects. They have a heavy, sharp, hooked
bill, and toes with strong curved talons. Falcons are streamlined
hawks with long pointed wings, large heads, and tails that narrow
at the tip. They are rapid on the wing, with a direct, choppy,
powerful flight, though they sometimes soar with the tail spread
open. There are a variety of falcons, among them the gyrfalcon,
the peregrine and the prairie falcon.
Order: Ciconiiformes | Family:
Falconidae | Species: Falco rusticolus
