FIREFIGHTERS and RSPCA officers launched a dramatic rescue to free a Harris Hawk that got trapped by a roof-top aerial for almost 24 hours.

Liverpool firefighters raised a platform so RSPCA officer Mathew Brown could free the stricken bird of prey from the roof of flats in Richmond Terrace, Everton, yesterday.

It is understood the hawk – which has a length of 60cm and a wingspan of 1.2m – had become disorientated and got stuck in the metal aerial after getting lost.

The bird, which normally lives in sparse woodland and semi-desert, was tagged and the RSPCA are now trying to trace its owners.

A Merseyside Fire Brigade spokesman said: “We were called by the RSPCA on Monday evening and, when the hawk was still stuck the following morning, we were asked to assist in its rescue.

“At 9.30am on Tuesday, we went to Richmond Terrace where the bird was stuck three storeys up at around a height of 40ft. It was quite a spectacular sight.

“We used our combined ladder platform to send up the RSPCA officer to try and free the bird. We used that platform as it is caged and we wanted to protect the safety of the RSPCA officer as much as possible.

“It was quite nerve-wracking as the bird was obviously getting distressed. However, the officer did a good job and managed to get the bird free as quickly and calmly as he could.

“It was totally uninjured and seemed unfazed by its ordeal. It was then taken to a local RSPCA centre to be checked over.

“It is a domestic bird and must have an owner as it has been tagged. The RSPCA are now trying to trace the owner so that they can be reunited.”

As well as used in falconry, Harris Hawks are used in Euro-pean towns to scare pigeons and starlings. Many airports employ falconers to scare these birds from around runways and reduce the risk of bird strikes on planes.

There have been reports of escaped Harris Hawks breeding in the wild in England.

It is also one of the most remarkable birds of prey, because it has a unique behaviour pattern. The birds hunt in family groups, in much the same way as wolves hunt in packs. Each group consists of a pair, with a dominant female, and several helpers.

When they sight their prey from the air, they land on the ground and take turns to scare the prey until it darts out from its hiding place and is captured by another member of the hunting pack.

An RSPCA spokesman said it may it may be that the bird became trapped after hiding amongst the rooftop aerial before targeting prey.

carolineinnes