A peregrine falcon chick dumped in a Fife lay-by is on the road to recovery.
The defenceless four-week-old youngster, which seems to have been hand-reared, was cruelly abandoned in a box on the outskirts of Cowdenbeath, where it was discovered by a member of the public on Monday at around 10pm.
It is now being cared for by the Scottish SPCA at its national wildlife rescue centre at Fishcross near Alloa.
A spokeswoman said: “We get birds of prey in for various reasons but to find a bird abandoned in a box is pretty rare indeed.”
The chick would not have survived in the wild as it is still at an age where it needs to be fed. It wouldn’t have been able to take to the skies either as it doesn’t have its flying feathers yet.
Now the Scottish SPCA is appealing for information about how the bird came to be found in the lay-by on the B981 between Cowdenbeath and Hill of Beath.
Senior inspector Steven Gray said: “The peregrine is believed to be female, around four weeks old, and appears to have been hand-reared. She bears no identification rings, which we would expect to see on a bird born in captivity. Therefore, we cannot rule out the possibility that she may have been taken from the wild.
“We are keen to speak to anyone who has seen this very distinctive bird prior to her abandonment on Monday night.”
All birds, their nests and eggs are protected by law and so it is an offence to take a wild bird or their eggs. It is also an offence to be in possession or control of a wild bird.
Abandoning an animal is an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. Anyone found guilty of doing so can expect to be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or life.
Anyone with information is being urged to contact the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999 or the police.