Trained falcon lost in Salmon Arm

Have you seen this lost falcon? A Salmon Arm resident is looking for Griffin, a trainedone-year-old gyr falcon.

Griffin has been missing since Tuesday when he flew off,says Mandy MacDiarmid, who runs a falconry wildlife management business. She trainsGriffin and other birds at Schuswap Birds of Preyto scare away smaller, unwanted birds at airports, landfills, vineyards, and orchards.

MacDiarmid says Griffin means a lot to her.

"With training, you can't really put a [dollar] figure on them. It's also more about the attachment as well," she said.

"We miss him, and we'd like to have him back."

How to find a falcon

MacDiarmid says she and her employees usually put transmitters on their birds when they fly free. But on Tuesday, she suspects Griffin, spooked bynearby machinery, flew off from hisperch without one.

Griffin has a one metre wingspan, a white underbellyand is about 50 centimetresfrom beak to tail. MacDiarmid says gyr falcons can fly at speeds of 100 km per hour or more.

MacDiarmid is asking people to text her a picture of any bird resembling Griffin at 250-253-9269.

To listen to the full audio, click the link labelelled:Griffin the missing one-year old gyr falcon from Salmon Arm.