Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: leslieville on January 18, 2011, 09:12:01 PM

Title: Gyrfalcon in toronto
Post by: leslieville on January 18, 2011, 09:12:01 PM

There is a gyrfalcon that winters in a cedar in my backyard. The bird arrives about 4:30 and leaves in the morning. I will try and get some decent photos

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Post by: Reuven_M on January 18, 2011, 09:15:49 PM

Why do you think it is a gyrfalcon rather than any other raptor (particularly sharp-shinned hawk, cooper's hawk, merlin)? Would be odd behaviour for one and they are very rare in this area. Anything can happen though...

Title: Gyrafalcon
Post by: leslieville on January 18, 2011, 09:57:05 PM

Quote from: "Reuven_M"

Why do you think it is a gyrfalcon rather than any other raptor (particularly sharp-shinned hawk, cooper's hawk, merlin)? Would be odd behaviour for one and they are very rare in this area. Anything can happen though...

I looked at the images of the birds you mentioned. The bird in the backyard resembles a gyrfalcon. If anyone wants to have a look the bird arrives most days before the sun goes down.

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Post by: birddog on January 19, 2011, 08:59:32 AM

If, and that is a very big if it is a gyrfalcon, do not disclose the location. These falcons are highly prized by some people to take from the wild, and sell. If need be, contact the zoo, or some other trusted source, but please post pics, I would be happy to be wrong.

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Post by: DaveD on January 19, 2011, 11:42:32 AM

^^^That is nutty.

I can understand not saying where a SWO is because people can literally walk up and grab it, but a Gyrfalcon? Good luck getting anywhere close to it AND there are so many Peregrines around that if there was a problem with what you are talking about, Peregrines would dissapear. Peregrines are not dissapearing and all of them are watched very closely, and have been for well over 10yrs in this city, so we would know.

I highly doubt this is a Gyrfalcon. They dont hang out in trees in backyards. They stick to cliffs, bridges and tall buildings. If you said that you lived beside a bridge and there was one hanging around on it, or in a condo and one was on your balcony a lot, I would be more inclined to think that this very rare visitor was indeed a GF.

Do you live in Leslieville? If you cant get pics, I live close by and would be able to give your Coopers Hawk, Merlin, or Redtail, or maybe even Goshawk an ID. It is almost certainly one of those.

Is it smaller than a crow, same size or bigger?

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Post by: birddog on January 20, 2011, 09:58:53 AM

Well, there was a gyrfalcon in toronto, late 80s I believe that I have heard was captured by someone trying to smuggle it out of the country. The falcons in Toronto are well watched and usually in hard to reach locations but some disappear off the radar to unknown causes. If you know what you are doing, any bird can be captured.
I too,think it highly unlikely to be a gryfalcon.

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Post by: P1Guy on January 21, 2011, 07:16:51 AM

I doubt that it is a gryfalcon, but that would be nice  :)