Prairie Falcon (chick)

This is a female Prairie Falcon pulled from a nest by my falconry sponsor last Spring. Like all raptors, falcons grow at an impressive rate; a week earlier and she was all white fluff, two weeks later and she had most of the stiff, dark brown feathers found on adults.
Prairie Falcons are close relatives to the more famous Peregrine Falcon, but are smaller, have a more 'mechanical' flight style, and have a more stubborn, unpredictable personality.