On a recent warm mid-April day, I decided to venture out to my patio to enjoy some sunshine. Within a minute of being there, I heard a distinct shrill and chattering bird call I did not recognize.

With a wingspan of 4 feet, the gyrfalcon (pronounced JER-falcon) is the largest falcon. Your best bet to see this giant raptor is a trip to Alaska or the Canadian tundra. Discover hawk identification ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Wednesday, Aug. 27 turned out to be an eventful day, bird-wise. I set out before dawn for the upper reaches of Hoover Reservoir.