Missing Washington hawk 'likely to land on shoulders' found

Mark Render has had Ares the Harris hawk since the bird was six months old

A missing bird of prey with a habit of landing on people's shoulders has been found.

Mark Render, 25, from Washington, had stressed the Harris hawk would not attack residents or their pets.

"In the wild - this kind of hawk lives in the desert - they'll sit on each others' shoulders to get a better vantage point," he said.

The bird was found by a dog walker in trees near Princess Anne Park and enticed down with a day-old chick.

Mr Render said his pet, Ares, was "normally friendly" but could be frightened of dogs and unfamiliar people.

The hawk could have travelled miles in the two weeks he was missing, his owner said

He had offered a reward after the bird escaped from its enclosure when wind blew the door open.

The two-and-a-half-year-old hawk was bought for £350 as a young bird. It has a 1m (3ft) wingspan.

It is used to a diet of day-old chicks and quail but would hunt pigeons and rabbits in the wild, Mr Render said.