NZ Falcon

This beautiful lady has had emergency surgery, but is recuperating well. She is very feisty,(why she's wrapped in a towel), and had to hang on to the towel.
The New Zealand falcon is a magpie-sized raptor that feeds predominantly on live prey. Adapted to hunt within the dense New Zealand forests they are also found in more open habitats such as tussocklands and roughly grazed hill country. More recently they have been discovered breeding in exotic pine plantations. Laying their eggs in simple scrapes they can nest in a variety of locations, from within the epiphytes that grow in large trees, to on the ground under small rocky outcrops. Where they nest on the ground they are well known for attacking intruders, including humans, with aggressive dive-bombing strikes to the head.
These beautiful birds are endangered. What a joy to meet it today. (Extra photo is not mine, but shows you this beautiful raptor.)