A Falcon Out on the Ice: teacher key

Gyrfalcons, grade 12 edition, written for 12th grade and up. From genes and satellite tracks to ptarmigan counts, researchers piece together how gyrfalcons live and how they are doing.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

Where do researchers think gyrfalcons may have evolved from?
- Peregrine falcons
- Eastern saker falcons (answer)
- Snowy owls
What winter behavior did the 48-bird satellite study find?
- Birds winter on sea ice far from land (answer)
- Birds sleep in caves
- Birds fly to Africa
Which gene is associated with gyrfalcon plumage color?
- Melanocortin 1 receptor (answer)
- Insulin
- Hemoglobin
What did the 2020 summary of 24 Arctic falcon monitoring sites find?
- Every population is gone
- No one monitors falcons
- Populations are generally stable, with gaps in coverage (answer)
Why might the supply of ptarmigan matter to where gyrfalcons live?
- Ptarmigan build their nests
- Ptarmigan hunt them
- Their distribution is closely connected with where ptarmigan live (answer)
What does dispersal mean?
- Hatching
- Spreading out (answer)
- Banding

Words

morphs: color forms
plumage: feather coat
transmitters: tracking tags
dispersal: spreading out
raptors: birds of prey