Dark Gyrfalcon

The gyrfalcon comes in three colour phases - dark, gray or white. It is the king of the falcons and is much sought after by the falconers of the world, especially the nobility of the Arabian peninsula. The huge sums of money which are paid for the living birds or even the eggs, create an impossible pressure on the wild population. In North America they are, or course, totally protected by law, but enforcement is not always successful.