This Video Lets You Get Up Close With a Rare White Falcon

Recently, a camera filming the northern lights in the Canadian province of Manitoba ended up capturing something far more unusual: a rare bird called the gyrfalcon. With a wingspan of up to 4.5 feet and a body that can weigh up to 4.5 pounds, the bird is the world's largest falcon. The pale gyrfalcon stared directly into the camera's lens, providing viewers with an up-close look at its face and body.

A ferocious predator that hunts mostly seabirds, waterfowl, and large land birds like ptarmigan and grouse, the gyrfalcon typically sticks to the Arctic tundra, coastlines, and mountains. Occasionally, it crosses the Canadian border. While many gyrfalcons are black and gray, some birds, like this one, are a shocking shade of white.

Explore.org, a multimedia organization that films and photographs wildlife around the world, posted a video of the gyrfalcon—which has reportedly paid more than a dozen visits to the camera—earlier this week. Since then, a steady stream of bird lovers have shared it on multiple social platforms—proving that even in our technologically advanced world, sometimes nature is the best entertainment.

[h/t MSN]

All images courtesy of YouTube.