Rare falcon holds still for camera

A rare New Zealand falcon was not too worried about a photographer standing just 5m away outside his Mosgiel home.

Barry Gibson, who lives in the Highland Park subdivision in Mosgiel, said he looked out a window and noticed the falcon, or karearea, perched on the fence outside and he sneaked out his front door to capture the moment.

"They’re beautiful birds," Mr Gibson said.

"It watched me for a bit, then just flew off."

Mr Gibson used a Nikon D80 camera with an 18-135mm lens to get the picture on Thursday.

The southern form of the karearea faces the risk of extinction in the medium term.

The falcon is capable of flying at speeds exceeding 100kmh and can catch prey larger than itself.

grant.miller@odt.co.nz