Gyrkin

The Gyrkin is a falcon, in overall size between a Rubytail and a Diving Falcon, with a wingspan of up to 5ft, pointed for high speed flight rather than soaring. The gyrkin is found in two colourations, based on its native area: those resident in the South are brown on their uppersides while those in the North are silver-white, both with a speckled or stripped white undersides and dark yellow beaks & eyes.

Gyrkins prey on both other birds and mammals, particularly small rodents, preferring to attack via horizontals pursuit and to force flying prey towards the ground where it can be killed. They have a marked preference for fresh kills, avoiding carrion. Creatures which are preyed on by the gyrkin include geese, ducks, crows, cranes, muttonbirds, swans, and marten. They are also known to prey on the smaller Diving Falcon.

Gyrkins prefer to nest on cliffs, making heavy use of nests abandoned by Golden Eagles and Raitons. These species are the falcon’s primary predators, though they prefer to seek eggs rather than the falcons themselves… gyrkins will resist interlopers with intense ferocity, known to deter even bears and Crag Cats.

The gyrkin is popular amongst falconers for its fierce nature and good size for human handling, as well as requiring less skill to master than a Diving Falcon. Their popularity means they have spread across Creation, escaping from noble courts over the centuries to form wild breeding populations on the Blessed Isle, River Province, and some Western islands.