the Retiree

Sometimes when you go to a Festival in the Park, there is something more amazing than the beautiful handcrafted art and the decadent fair food. This is that Something.

The Something is a white morph gyrfalcon. This is the largest of the falcons, resident of the high latitudes. In medieval times, the gyrfalcon was knows as the "king's bird", as the ownership of these hard to obtain falcons was reserved for the use of the king or the nobles. These falcons are often seen during the winter months in South Dakota, the Ft. Pierre National Grasslands is the place to go looking for them.

This is one of the education birds that Wildlife Experiences, Inc. uses in their programs. She previously belonged to a licensed falconer and was given to WEI when she was retired from active hunting. Gorgeous creature, is she not?