THIEVES may have stolen a hawk because it made too much noise, its concerned owner fears.

Pip, a five-year-old Harris hawk, was taken from her aviary in Barton, Oxford, on Friday morning after thieves broke open the lock and cut the bird loose from its tether.

Shaun Cadle, of Barton Village Road, said he was distraught by the theft and feared his bird could have been taken because of her “loud squawks”.

He said: “We are all gutted. We have raised Pip since she was a tiny chick.

“Whoever did this is scum.

“She was part of the family and they have just taken her off with no concern for her welfare.

“There are two possible options here. One is that she was stolen to order because birds of prey do remain quite sought after.

“The other is that somebody could have been alerted to her by her squawking, which is quite loud. It may have annoyed someone living nearby.”

The thieves struck sometime between 10am and 11.30am while Mr Cadle’s son, Aiden, 18, was out walking their dog.

Mr Cadle said: “Aiden is more upset than anyone because Pip was essentially his pet.

“We are all very worried about her health because whoever took Pip obviously has no idea how to treat birds of prey.

“All birds like this are attached to a falconry knot, because it means you can handle them more safely and comfortably.

“But when we discovered she had been taken we saw the knot had just been cut, which is very worrying.”

Pip stands about a foot tall and has a three-and-a-half-foot wingspan.

Mr Cadle added: “I have put notices in all the shops around here to highlight what has happened.

“Pip is quite a big bird and makes a lot of noise, so whoever has got her will certainly have a job keeping her quiet.

“I would urge whoever is responsible to please return her safely, and I would ask people in Oxford to keep an ear out.

“If you hear some unusual bird sounds, it could well be Pip.”

Anyone with any information should call police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.