Learning to Fly: The Gyrfalcon

In Learning to Fly: The Gyrfalcon, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes how young chicks get ready to leave the nest. A brave female takes flight but crash lands among the rocky slopes. With a white wolf approaching, she must quickly learn to take off from the ground. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps, and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.

Video Details

Location:

High Arctic

Grades:

K-2 3-5

Program:

Animal Babies

Time:

4:33

Subject:

Science

Topic:

Life Science

Location:

High Arctic

Grades:

K-2 3-5

Program:

Animal Babies

Time:

4:33

Subject:

Science

Topic:

Life Science

Location:

High Arctic

Grades:

K-2 3-5

Program:

Animal Babies

Time:

4:33

Subject:

Science

Topic:

Life Science

Location:

High Arctic

Grades:

K-2 3-5

Program:

Animal Babies

Time:

4:33

Subject:

Science

Topic:

Life Science

Lesson Express

Q: How are the gyrfalcon chicks’ needs met before they can fly?
A: They are safe in the nest high on the cliffs. The parents bring them food.

Q: Why is a crash landing so dangerous for the gyrfalcon?
A: She could have broken a wing or flight feathers. She’s unable to take off from the ground, so she’s in danger of being attacked by wolves.

Q: What behaviors prepare the young gyrfalcon for flight?
A: It flaps its wings hard to strengthen them before taking off. Its nest is high on the cliffs, so its first flight is from that height. From the ground, it climbs the rocks to help it take off.

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