AUDUBON, John James (1785 - 1851), Iceland or Jer Falcon, (Plate 366), 1827–1838

JOHN JAMES AUDUBON (1785 - 1851)

Iceland or Jer Falcon, Plate 366 [Gyrfalcon, Falco rusticolus]

From the Birds of America

Aquatint engraving with original hand color

London: Robert Havell, 1827–1838

Paper size: 25 5/8 x 38 1/8 in.

“Their flight resembled that of the Peregrine Falcon, but was more elevated, majestic, and rapid. They rarely sailed when travelling to and fro, but used a constant beat of their wings. When over the Puffins, and high in the air, they would hover almost motionless, as if watching the proper moment to close their pinions, and when that arrived, they would descend almost perpendicularly on their unsuspecting victims.” - (Audubon’s Ornithological Biography, 1831).