Sunriver Nature Center’s new gyrfalcon has a name: Freya

SUNRIVER, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Sunriver Nature Center's newest animal ambassador, a gyrfalcon, now has a name -- Freya, the facility announced Wednesday.

The nature center said it received over 100 name suggestions from visitors, and "had plenty of creative options to choose from," it said.

"We loved the origin of the name Freya," the announcement said. "The Norse goddess of love, fertility and battle, Freya was known for her magical cloak of feathers that allowed her to fly through the sky."

Freya can be visited daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in her new aviary at the nature center, officials said.

The young, female gyrfalcon arrived earlier this year, a member of the largest falcon species in the world. The falcons, once considered the "bird of kings, can reach speeds of up to 130 mph as they hunt and dive for prey.