Falconer's Telemetry Receiver Locates Missing Hawk in Neighbor's Living Room Watching Television

A falconer's frantic search for a missing Northern goshawk ended Saturday when her telemetry receiver led her to a neighbor's living room, where the bird was found perched on a La-Z-Boy recliner watching a BBC nature documentary about birds of prey. Falconer Helen Swivel had been hunting with the goshawk, Valkyrie, in a wooded area adjacent to a residential neighborhood when the bird gave chase to a squirrel and failed to return. Swivel activated her telemetry transmitter and followed the signal for approximately 300 yards, where it led her to the front door of a ranch-style home belonging to Gerald and Dottie Perkins. 'I knocked on the door and explained that my tracking equipment indicated my hawk was inside their house,' Swivel said. 'Gerald looked at me like I was insane. Then we heard a nature documentary narrator say the word peregrine and there was a very loud chirp from the living room.' Valkyrie had apparently entered through an open window that the Perkinses had left ajar to enjoy the autumn air. She was found perched on the back of Gerald's recliner, talons gripping the upholstery, head oriented toward the television with what Swivel described as 'focused attention.' 'She was watching hawks on TV,' Swivel said. 'I've never seen her that still outside of a hunt. She didn't even mantle when I approached. She was just... watching.' The Perkinses, who had been in the kitchen during the hawk's arrival, took the situation with remarkable calm. 'We've had raccoons in the garage,' Dottie said. 'A hawk watching our TV is honestly the least weird thing that's happened this year.' Swivel recovered Valkyrie without incident, though the hawk reportedly bated twice when the television was turned off. The recliner sustained minor talon damage, for which Swivel has offered compensation. Gerald declined payment, noting that 'the hawk has better taste in programming than I do.'