What an absolutely beautiful raptor and one that we don’t see here in Colorado.

You might be able to guess from its bright, white plumage that these falcons are from the north and you would be right. They typically reside in the alpine tundra of Canada and Alaska but do sometimes venture down into southern Canada and on rare occasion, the northern tier of the contiguous United States.

They are in fact the largest falcon in the world and like many of its cousins, tends to prey on other birds. Some are a white morph variety like this pretty lady but many more come in shades of gray and brown.

This is a captive bird that I photographed at a recent event. On this day she was being a bit temperamental and not too willing to pose so I only managed a couple quick captures.