A studio for bird study

Tag: rusticolus

December 5, 2013

Support Gyrfalcon Conservation Efforts of The Peregrine Fund Through Year End Donations, or By Purchasing Artwork

by Bryce W. Robinson

Click image to purchase

Click image to purchase **PRINT ONLY** *Original available

The Gyrfalcon, the Polar Bear of the bird world, is truly an iconic symbol of the frozen north.

It is undeniable, the earth is undergoing rapid change. To properly predict and prepare for the impacts this change will have on the Gyrfalcon, The Peregrine Fund has started a program to study particular aspects of Gyrfalcon biology, and form a conservation program.

I am part of The Peregrine Fund team, charged with developing a long term project to monitor Gyrfalcon populations, and conduct necessary research that will inform conservation biologists, to ensure the future of this powerful bird.

Please consider contributing to the efforts of The Peregrine Fund for a year end donation, and be part of a conservation effort aimed at ensuring the future of the Polar Bear of the birds, the Gyrfalcon. Doing so will not only help in the effort to understand and ensure the future of an arctic animal, but will inevitably help in understanding climate change and its real time implications on the earth as a whole, and in turn, on ourselves.

You can become part of this effort by visiting The Peregrine Fund website, and clicking on the DONATE NOW button on the top right of the page. The Peregrine Fund is a registered non-profit 501-C3, so all donations are tax deductible. In the comments section of the donation form, please specify that you wish your gift to contribute to the Gyrfalcon Project.

In an effort to diversify my funding sources, I have started THE GYRFALCON PROJECT, here on ORNITHOLOGI.COM. I will illustrate and paint, to capture the Gyrfalcon in its emblematic form. All illustrations will be featured on the blog and will be available as originals, along with prints. 50% of proceeds from all sales will be donated to The Peregrine Fund to support the Gyrfalcon Project.

Your action will help, no matter how small, in empowering the research and understanding of our rapidly changing world.

If you are interested in commissioning an original of any medium, please contact me at ofbirdsandbATgmail.com.

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February 11, 2013

The Gyrfalcon as a Milestone

by Bryce W. Robinson

Gyrfalcon- Falco rusticolus

Gyrfalcon- Falco rusticolus

Today I ventured north into Idaho with Jerry Liguori and Caitlin Davis. We were in search of a Gyrfalcon, the largest falcon in the world, a dweller of the arctic. I really didn’t hold my hopes too high for finding any Gyrfalcons, mostly to curb any disappointment, but really we were on the hunt for a wandering creature on wings, in a vast and open land. In my eyes, the odds were stacked against us.

We made our heading to the area where the bird had been reported, and upon arrival, began our diligent search for what was truly a needle in a haystack. Not thirty minutes following the inception of our search, we spotted a perching raptor some telephone poles down the line. My excitement quickly grew, as I realized I was approaching what was to be the first falco rusticolus of my life, a veritable holy grail to my raptor watching.

How quickly we found the bird was remarkable. It went far better than expected. The bird turned out to be an adult, not the juvenile we were after. That meant that two Gyrfalcons were in the area. Quite spectacular to me, but perhaps something more common than anyone is yet to realize. Or maybe it is just this winter, as it seems many species of the north have ventured in large numbers to our lower lands.

I feel I dropped the ball as they say, so far as photography goes. I did my best for good photos of the bird, but honestly, the photo was not what the experience was about for me. It was a first in my life. I saw a bird on a long journey, from a harsh landscape far to the north, escaping a place so frigid and formidable it chose a winter setting in Idaho to ensure its survival. This bird is rare, it is beautiful, it is tough. This bird is wild. And today marks a great milestone in my exposure and education in the world of birds. I finally, with the help and direction of Jerry, saw Falco rusticolus, the Gyrfalcon.

Gyrfalcon- Falco rusticolus

Gyrfalcon- Falco rusticolus

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