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Our local Park Keeper told me that he had seen someone walking around the park with a bird of prey on his arm.  The man left before the Parkie could catch up with him so he couldn't say what type of bird it was.  Someone else told him that the man had been seen walking near the main road with it too.

Has anyone ever come across anything like this before? 

We have 'status dogs' - but birds of prey?  :o

Years ago as a kid I remember someone in the local park with a tame magpie. Not quite the same I know but he used to bring it up for a walk/fly

I haven't seen any on  public park but where I work..golf course...we get calls now and then people asking if they could come there with their birds.
Farmer nearby does let some on his land too.
They are beautiful birds what ever type they are..but they do need approapriate place for their excersize..bublic park on not so busy time of the day may do for the bird..but it is other thing if it is allowed by legal point of view. Was this man actually flying the bird or just walking about with the bird?
Later option should not be consern, if the bird is 'tied up' and if the owner don't let other people touch the bird it is not a danger for anybody. It could be the bird is under training to get used to bublic situations and chance of scenery, rather than flying.
We have friend who takes his canaries on local woods..in a cage..for 'drop of fresh air'... ;D ;D..bless him..

  We have a man who regularly walks his birds of prey on the common. He also walks his parrot into the village and sits at the bus stop !!!

We regularly see a lady at our local car boot who walks around with several Parrots, an African grey and a Macaw. She's quite a character, talks to the birds like they were children.  :)

Jude and I do a round robin country walk in Bracknell Berkshire and we have seen a "country" man flying his Harris hawk,ok so its not in a park but I guess some folk have to use whatever bit of countryside they can.

It was brilliant watching it and as a result we both paid for a day flying a Harris Hawk at The Hawk Conservancy Nr Andover,a fabulous day and heres er indoors tuning her feathered friend before letting it go.


they did suggest we go live flying but to be honest we coped with feeding em bits of meat but we didnt fancy
trying to catch some poor thing flying past.... ::)

Gazza

Going by your replies, it's not as unusual as I thought!

Goodlife, the parkie didn't see the bird flying, just sitting on the man's arm.

Ah...perharps it was just a little fresh air walk then.. ;D..yes, not so uncommon after all.. ;D ;D

Our neighbour used to keep golden eagles in the back garden. Beautifull birds. Used to take one to the local on a Sunday. Rather disconcerting to walk into a pub and find an eagle on the bar. Pub was also used by fishermen, So the welcoming sign said: Welliebobs and overalls welcome, and eagles may s$%t on the floor.

We have a chap who exercises several birds of prey in the playing fields by us.  Quite a sight, a free show.

We have a guy that goes out on his mobility scooter with a bird of prey perched up on the front of it, had to do a double take to make sure I wasnt seeing things. No idea what type of bird it is though, and we live in quite a built up area.