Who knew? Apparently Gyrfalcons spend the winter out at sea living on pack ice.
Hat-tip to Clare M for the link.
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.
U-N-R-E-A-L !!!
I’ve heard stories of highly marine Peregrines as well. Like one hunting far offshore in California, actually killing a grebe on the water and then flying it back to land.
There is a vid on You Tube simply called Gyrfalcon and made by thegowzer1 that shows a pair of Gyrs landing on his ship far out at sea…78 degrees North between Svalbard and Greenland. I found it amazing that these birds boldly chose this ship to perch on as it swiftly moved through the water. They seem perfectly at ease and act like they have done this many times before. There are pieces of ice I can see off in the distance that they could have landed on but they seem to prefer the vessel. 🙂 This further proves their pelagic propensities during certain seasons.