An October 2025 Boise State University news post describes a new National Science Foundation award that brings together the expertise and commitment of many Raptor Research Center community members across multiple cohorts: alum Travis Booms (M.S. Raptor Biology, 2002, and wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game); avian biology Assistant Professor Stephanie Galla; alum and Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Ph.D. candidate Michael Henderson (M.S. Raptor Biology, 2019, and The Peregrine Fund); M.S. Raptor Biology student Sage Dale; and incoming M.S. Raptor Biology student Kara Beer.
“This award provides our collaboration new support and opportunities to dive into aspects of Gyrfalcon biology that have not previously been studied, as well as leverage existing samples and data to improve our understanding of this species and system.” – Travis Booms
The news post begins: ‘Gyrfalcons are the largest species of falcon, and live in one of the most extreme environments in the world: the Arctic. Amazingly, many Gyrfalcons do not migrate to escape sub-zero temperatures; instead, they nest in inhospitable rocky, cliff faces and have adapted to live year round in colder parts of the world, including Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Siberia…’