Published: Thursday, 17th July, 2008 1:00pm

IN A FLAP

by Amanda Keenan

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A BIRD brained resident got a shock when police swooped on his house to remove a "pet" peregrine falcon.

And the owner"s feathers were ruffled when officers said he did not have a official license to keep the deadly bird of prey.

The falcon was removed from a house in Divernia Way after cops received a tip-off.

In order to keep the endangered bird of prey owners must have a sponsor for a two year period before getting a general falconry license for five years.

Normally, birds such as falcons are kept in estates where they have the time, resources, license and equipment to deal with the creature. Their natural habitat includes open areas in many terrain types, from ocean to mountain.

A spokesperson for Barrhead police said: 'It"s not often we are called to recover a peregrine falcon especially from Barrhead.

'It is a very unusual situation as it can be a long process to obtain a license to keep a bird of prey.

'We will be continuing our enquires to discover exactly how the owner came to have the bird at their home.'

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is hitting out at the owner for "foolishly" keeping an endangered bird in an unsuitable environment.

Grahame Madge from the RSPB said: 'Peregrines are birds of prey and not standard pets, obtaining one is difficult.

'The birds can be extremely dangerous and if it is not handled properly or kept in the suitable conditions then the bird could become distressed.

'Anyone wishing to keep a bird of prey must be aware of the falconry laws and be seen to adhere to them.

'They are considered an endangered species and there are only 1,500 falcons in the UK so it is unusual for one to be kept at a house in Barrhead.'

The falcon is often referred to as the "cheetah of the sky" and can reach speed of approximately 200mph in a dive, swiping prey in mid-air and cruise at a speed of about 60mph.

For now the bird has been caged by cops until a suitable home can be found.

No criminal charges have been brought against the owner of the falcon.