Except for isolated populations in Central Asian highlands, the gyrfalcon is found mostly in the Arctic region. It has a fully feathered leg and the plumage varies from pure white with black speckling to dark grey. They usually reach a size of more than half a meter. Female gyrfalcons are often double the weight of male gyrfalcons.
Gyrfalcons hunt by fast flight low over the ground. They usually hunt in a horizontal pursuit and do not normally stoop swiftly from heights. Most of their preys are killed on the ground, whether they are taken during flight, or captured on the ground. A large portion of their diet consists of ptarmigan and waterfowl. They occasionally feed on fish and other mammals as well.
Gyrfalcons are used widely in falconry. These birds are generally silent, but whenever they get excited, they are loud.