Rare Gyrfalcon spotted flying over Orkney

A rare visitor from Iceland – the largest falcon in the world – has turned up in Orkney.

The Gyrfalcon is also a lesser seen grey morph, which mean sit is a rarer grey version of the bird.

It was recorded at Birsay Moors on mainland Orkney on Monday.

The bird, rarely seen in the UK, is the largest of all falcon species and is normally found closest to Scotland in Iceland.

The Gyrfalcon breeds on Arctic coasts and islands of North America, Europe and Asia.

The only natural predator of Gyrfalcons are Golden Eagles and even they rarely engage with these formidable birds.

Gyrfalcons that make it to adulthood can live up to 20 years of age.

In medieval times, the Gyrfalcon was considered the king’s bird. It was highly prized as far away as the Egyptian Sultan’s court.