The falcon has flown (From Swindon Advertiser)

The falcon has flown

9:39am Thursday 25th January 2007 in

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SEAGULLS and pigeons will have to be on their guard after a falcon escaped from his cage in Covingham.

But birds be warned, Jura is not just any old falcon - he scares away scavenging birds for a living.

The three-year-old Saker Falcon pecked through the wire of his cage in The Buntings on Monday afternoon and his owner is growing concerned for his safety.

Cliff Lee, a falconer by trade, has kept the bird of prey in his garden for the last 12 months and the pair had been working at the landfill site close to junction 16 of the M4.

"He has been clearing gulls off a landfill site and he's been doing that for the last year," said Cliff.

"I am worried because he has got the jesses that are tied around his legs and he could get himself tangled up if he lands in a tree.

"I don't know if he will hunt for food either as he has been fed on day-old chicks and raw meat.

"He will probably sit on a garden post because that is what he is used to, but I would hate for him to be sat on a post starving to death because he doesn't know how to feed himself."

Cliff has had falcons for several years and tends to name them after Hebridean islands in Scotland.

"They are lovely birds," he said. "And it is a great job to be outside flying birds of prey every day.

"I think Jura probably went missing early afternoon on Monday. He was not down to work that day and he was left on his block as normal and I got home and found that he pecked through the wire mesh.

"He is light in colour underneath and has a dark brown back. He is between 12in and 18in from toe to top, so about average size for a Saker Falcon.

"They make very good birds for clearing landfills and runways of pigeons and gulls."

Cliff is so desperate to get his bird back he is offering a reward for anyone who finds him.

If you think you have spotted Jura or know where he is contact Cliff on 01793 852225

These birds are bold and ferocious

The Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) is a bird of open plains and desert-type habitats, breeding in middle Europe eastward into Asia.

A bold and ferocious falcon, it is known for attacking prey much larger than itself and it is greatly favoured by falconers.

Measuring about 18in, the Saker Falcon breeds from Slovakia and the Hungarian plains eastwards beyond Lake Baikal through Asia Minor to India.