A FALCONER is appealing for people to look out for a bird of prey that went missing after it was startled by a sheep.

The saker falcon was entertaining the crowds at a fete at West Burton, near Leyburn, North Yorkshire, on Monday when it dropped to the ground to feed and was spooked by a sheep.

Owner Rob Stenton, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, searched the area and returned the following evening, but saw no sign of the three-year-old falcon, named Penaka.

"Several things happened which caused the bird to fly away," he said. "The sheep spooked him - he is used to cows but not sheep - and he began to behave funnily. He was then spotted on a farm roof and was mobbed by crows and jackdaws.

"The £150 transmitter on his leg also stopped working, otherwise I would have had him back in an hour."

The bird could survive in the wild if it does not stray into the territory of a peregrine, which would attack it, and if it is not grounded overnight, leaving it vulnerable to foxes.

The falcon, which is about the size of a crow, is most likely to be spotted flying or perched on a building in open countryside.

Anyone who spots the bird, is asked to contact Mr Stenton on 07751-863273.