Public urged to look out for missing kestrel

The public is urged to look out for a tame bird of prey which flew off during a display.

Fern, a Eurasian kestrel is about three years old and Stephen Cross from Shropshire Falconry has been hand-rearing her since she was about 10 days old.

During a display in Bishop's Castle at about 12:00 GMT on Sunday, she got scared by a peregrine falcon and flew into a nearby tree where she remained for a number of hours. However, she then moved and her radio transmitter signal was lost.

She is quite tame, is wearing a blue radio tracker and could approach people if she gets hungry, Cross said. He added she could be anywhere.

The bird was quite capable and fit enough to catch her own food, but she did rely on him for food also, he said.

"On her leg she's got a blue radio tracker, a blue transmitter with an aerial on, and on her legs she's got two little black straps," he said.

"She is super tame and I use her for all sorts of things, photography days, shows, people all round the country will have seen her at shows

"Lots of children in Shropshire will have seen her in school… at shows.

"She's kind of famous."

He said due to her tame nature, she could approach people if she got hungry.

"She's super good at what she does, but she's in an alien environment for her, and the weather hasn't been brilliant," he said.

Cross added she may be quite vocal, and described her as like one of his children.

"I will always be mum, so whenever she's hungry, she will do that fast little chatter, she'll call to me."

He urged anyone who may see Fern to get in touch with Shropshire Falconry.

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