A man who stole young endangered birds of prey from a nest has been jailed for four months.

Leonard O'Connor, 37, is believed to be the first person to be jailed for keeping a stolen wild bird after he admitted plundering a goshawk nest in Derbyshire.

He gave one of the chicks away and reared the other as a falconry pet, keeping a diary of its growth, feeding and kills.

Unemployed O'Connor, of Huyton, Merseyside was sentenced at Knowsley Magistrates Court on Tuesday, having pleaded guilty to a number of charges at an earlier hearing.

British courts are sending out a message that they simply won't accept this crime RSPB spokesman

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which brought the case in partnership with Merseyside Police, said: "We are obviously delighted with the result.

"It is the first time that someone has gone to prison for stealing live birds, rather than bird eggs.

"British courts are sending out a message that they simply won't accept this crime."

Diary evidence

O'Connor was caught when he tried to obtain legal documents for the bird.

Police raided his home seizing O'Connor's diary which detailed his expedition to steal the birds from Hagg Side in Derbyshire on 16 May, 2000.

O'Connor had earlier pleaded guilty to taking the two birds, possession of a wild bird, possession of tail feathers and making a false statement to gain documents for the bird.

He was jailed for four months for possession of the live bird and making a false statement.

Law change

He was not punished for stealing the two birds because he raided the nest before the law was changed in January 2001 to enable bird thieves to be jailed.

He was not punished for possession of the feathers which falconers keep to use as spares.

The UK's goshawk population is currently increasing, with between 400 and 500 pairs in the country.

Birds can cost �1,300 each and can only legally be owned if they are bred in captivity and are registered with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.