Those who know the online me, know that I've adopted the Gyrfalcon, KIggavik in Inuktitut, as an online identity (if you will). Our Bed and Breakfast and other business names were called Kiggavik. A quick glance to this blog's URL will show you that it contains "Kiggavik", and pretty much anywhere I've needed a screen name that is what I've chosen. They are magnificent birds, filled with grace and power. And even though I see them annually in the wild I've had no idea of how truely powerful and awe inducing they are, until I held one in my hands this past week.
Thursday night, a Gyrfalcon was seen by two local youths, locked in battle with two Ravens. All three birds tumbled to the ground, on the shore of Arctic Bay and the youths were able to chase the Ravens away. The Gyrfalcon seemed unable to fly, so they took it to a local home, who took it to the local Wildlife Officer. I found out about it, as it happens so often these days, on Facebook.
I've helped with injured birds in the past, so I got a hold of the Wildlife Officer and offered to help, and the next morning was in his office, staring back at a beautiful, and large, raptor. I had no idea that it would be as large as it was. It is one thing to know that this is the largest of the falcons, but when you're constantly looking at them as they are a couple of hundred feet up a huge cliff, you can get a false idea of their size. I sure did. She stood over two feet tall, with a wingspan of well over four feet I'm guessing.
She (and I'm assuming she was a female based on her size) was an adult and was very alert. Luckily, I was able to pick the brain of someone with actual wildlife rehabilitation experience, my friend Dave (of Bird TLC and Around Anchorage fame). A quick exam showed there was no obvious injuries, that she was able to use her wings, and that she was somewhat undernourished. She had no shortage of strength and I discovered that her talons and beak were powerful reminders of that, even through leather gloves.
She hadn't eaten, but after having some water she downed the caribou meat that had been fed her, and later that night polished off an entire ptarmigan, followed by a pound of ground beef the next day. She also destroyed the cardboard that had lined the dog kennel she was temporarily housed in.
As she seemed strong, uninjured and only hungry enough to tackle a couple of Ravens, we decided to release her Sunday morning. Driving to the hills towards Nanisivik (choosing a spot with wide open tundra in case we had to try and capture her) we set the cage on the ground and opened the door.
She wasted no time in coming out, and stood on a low rock, calmly watching us and taking stock of her new found freedom. After waiting and watching a few moments she threw herself into the air, and flew with strong wing beats low over the tundra, sliding down into a small valley, and out of sight.
Comments
19 responses
That’s way too cool! Great job Clare. What’s really cool is now that everytime you see one, you’ll wonder if it’s the same one you helped along its way.
Very cool! We (and a friend) once rehabilitated a kestrel with moose meat. It’s such and amazing feeling to be so close, but an even more amazing feeling to know that you’ve help them find the strength to carry on!
What a wonderful story accompanied by some great photos! Thanks for sharing. ~karen
Very cool experience, and wonderful photos!!
Thanks Dave, and thank you again for your help. Sorry I missed getting you on the phone. And while I never thought about it that way, you’re right. I’ll probably wonder with every Gyrfalcon I see. I poured over my photos of the Gyrfalcon’s on the aerie, and I don’t think it is the same female, as this one is darker, or has more prominent dark spots.
Thanks Michael. Days before I left the Deh Cho I ended up with a Kestrel that had a broken wing. It took immediately to caribou meat. I scrambled to get permits to bring it with me and continue the rehabilitation but they were denied and it was left with the wildlife officer there.
Thank you Karen
It was ever so cool Nancy.
What a wonderful just before the dark time experience. She looks magnificent. Your totem in real time.
Good to get the full story here vs. abbreviated one on facebook. Glad that she got fed before release and again after being in Arctic Bay know some of the geography. Is the road still open all the way to Nanasivik?
She is a magnificent bird Indigo.
Hi Bonnie, the road is still open. We are still using Nanisivik Airport and will probably be doing so until Spring. The road between the Airport corner and the Nanisivik townsite is unmaintained and not in the best of shape but is passable. They occasionally plow a trail through in the winter time for the worker who monitors the site.
What a unique experience and a wonderful story.
Thanks Darcy, it was great. How’s that new job?
WOW, that falcon is huge!!!
Hi Jan, It is a big bird, I hadn’t realized how big until I saw it up close. Jealous of all your shorebirds though. Give a wave at my parents as the cruise through there this month. The 30th I believe.
What a gorgeous bird Clare, and a great story with a happy ending. I would love to see a Gyrfalcon up close like that. Actually, I would love to see one period. That would be a lifer for me.
What a wonderful experience to be able to give her her strength back and release her back into the wild. Great photos and I know you will enjoy them even more whenever you see a Gyrfalcon.
Hi Larry,
She is a gorgeous bird. I’m lucky enough to see them regularly. We have an aerie just around the corner that I start keeping tabs on in April. I think it was Dave who said, now whenever I see a Gyrfalcon I’ll wonder if it is her.
Wow! What a gift to both you and her (and us via this post).
Glad she was okay, and thanks for the photos & tale!
Thanks Jessamyn
I found this after realizing that the annoying Kiggavik Uranium Mining project ads on facebook kept giving me tweaks of associative thoughts about your blog. I am glad there is a positive thought to associate with the word. Interesting that they chose this bird. The bird itself doesn’t really inflict a slow and mysterious multi-generational death for its victims like the mine does, but it can probably be pretty vicious, ruthless, and hungry for the flesh of weak creatures…
Well, I’ve long been a fan of predators and I hate characterizing them as vicious and ruthless. They are doing what any other animal does, finding food. We don’t (usually anyway) characterize a ptarmigan as ruthlessly attacking a willow bud. And while they would certainly take advantage of a weak individual, they certainly take strong healthy ones as well. Generally they take their prey by surprise, flying strongly and quickly at them, giving them the least amount of time to flee or evade. I like to think of both predator and prey as marvelously adapted, balanced with both having some advantages over the other (even if it is just the advantage of shear numbers.
I’m also a fan of predators, but perhaps equally a fan of entertaining metophors 🙂 Your characterization works well in that metaphor, too – at least, let’s hope it does.