Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
FALCONIDAE Members: Gyrfalcon 212

General Comments
The only state record for the Gyrfalcon is of one individual, of the gray morph, observed sitting in a plowed field near Bayboro (Pamlico), on 10 Feb 1992* (Chat 59:69-70). The NC BRC not only accepted the report as to species but also as to wild origin (Chat 58:85-88); however, as no photos were taken, the species was placed on the Provisional List. To put the record in perspective, there are three accepted records of this rare Arctic-nesting raptor for Virginia (Rottenborn and Brinkley 2007).
Breeding Status
Nonbreeder
NC BRC List
Provisional
State Status
none
U.S. Status
Provisional
State Rank
SA
Global Rank
G5
Coastal Plain
One record (see above).
Piedmont
No records.
Mountain
No records.
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