Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!pyramid!oliveb!oliven!mjm
From: mjm@oliven.olivetti.com (Michael Mammoser)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Gyrfalcon
Message-ID: <16065@oliveb.olivetti.com>
Date: 25 Feb 88 20:55:12 GMT
References: <241@scovert>
Sender: news@oliveb.olivetti.com
Lines: 24
Summary: name origin

In article <241@scovert>, jonl@sco.COM (ScoMole #192-1232A) writes:
> 
> I was wondering if anyone could give me some detailed information on
> the origination of Gyrfalcon, the correct pronunciation 
> (grr-falcon, jire-falcon, or what?) and any other interesting info.

From the Encyclopedia of North American Birds:

	Gyrfalcon	JER fall kon	from the Latin gyrfalco, or girofalco,
said to be a low Latin corruption of hierofalco, or "sacred falcon", for the
bird so highly revered by falconers down through the ages.


From Webster's:

	Gyrfalcon	jur'fal ken	from the middle English gerfaucoun,
taken from the old French girfaucon, literally meaning "greedy one".


	The bird comes in three color phases; white, gray, and dark. The dark
phase looks very similar to an immature Peregrine falcon. The gray and dark
phases constitute the majority of North American sightings.

Good hunting,
Mike