Let us meet the gyrfalcon. A gyrfalcon is a falcon. It is the largest falcon in the world.

It has long, pointed wings. A female is bigger than a male.

Gyrfalcons live in the far north, in the Arctic. Most stay there all year. You can often find them along coasts and rivers.

Their feathers can be white, gray, or almost black. White gyrfalcons are found mainly in Greenland. When grown, it has yellow legs.

Let us see what it eats. Gyrfalcons eat mostly other birds. Ptarmigan are the main food. Ground squirrels and hares are small mammals it eats too.

A gyrfalcon does not build its own nest. It nests on cliffs. Some use an old nest. Another bird, such as a raven, built it.

A gyrfalcon usually lays three or four eggs. The eggs take about five weeks to hatch. Grown ones bring food to the nest for their young.

Words to know

• ptarmigan: a bird
• mammals: furry animals
• cliffs: rock walls
• Arctic: the far north