Photos: The magnificent Icelandic falcon at Christmas

The noble falcon is undoubtedly one of the birds most associated with Iceland. Photographer Ágúst Svavar Hrólfsson captured these stunning photographs of a falcon eating a dead duck on December 24th.  

The falcon had actually flown into the town of Bolungarvík in the West Fjords of Iceland. "I got a phonecall from an acquaintance at 2 pm on December 24th who wanted to let me know that there was a falcon in town," explains Hrólfsson to Iceland Monitor. "He then flew away and when I got there all I saw were about 20 ravens in the area."

He then spotted a dead duck lying by the river which traverses the town. "I stopped approximately 10 metres away from the duck. Suddenly the ravens start making a lot of noise and that's when I see the falcon swooping in and landing right next to the duck. He then proceeded to eat the duck. He was well aware that I was observing him. I had turned the ignition off on my car and I remained very silent so as not to disturbing. I guess that hunger made him just continue eating, even though a human was close by. I've often seen falcons close to town this time of year, they often seek out urban areas when the day is so short which makes hunting difficult."

By declaration of the Danish King in 1903, it was decided that the Icelandic coat of arms should be a white falcon on a blue background. The falcon is not present in the current coat of arms but at that time people found the noble, hardy bird more representative of Iceland than the cod, previously a symbol for the country.

The Icelandic Order of the Falcon, Iceland's most prestigious medal of honour is named after the bird. Falcons in Iceland are a protected species since the year 1940. 

You can see more of Hrólfsson's stunning nature photography HERE. 

The falcon has long been associated with Icelandic chieftains and noblemen, and later the President. Photo: Ágúst Svavar Hrólfsson

Photo: Ágúst Svavar Hrólfsson

Photo: Ágúst Svavar Hrólfsson