Gyrkins and Kings: teacher key

Gyrfalcons, grade 8 edition, written for 8th grade. The gyrfalcon in the cold north, its long history with falconers and how a pair raises its young.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What is a male gyrfalcon called in falconry?
   • A raven
   • A gyrkin (answer)
   • A morph
2. About how old is falconry?
   • Some 4,000 years (answer)
   • 40 years
   • 400 days
3. Who does most of the hunting for the first one to three weeks?
   • The male (answer)
   • The female
   • The young
4. When did food deliveries peak at nests in west Greenland?
   • Noon only
   • Midnight only
   • Morning and evening (answer)
5. Why might the female not hunt in the first weeks?
   • She cannot see
   • She has no wings
   • She broods the young (answer)
6. What does broods mean here?
   • Hunts birds
   • Keeps eggs warm (answer)
   • Flies far

Words

• ptarmigan: a bird
• falconry: hunting with falcons
• gyrkin: a male gyrfalcon
• broods: keeps eggs warm