A Harris’s hawk that repeatedly dive-bombed residents in the Hertfordshire village of Flamstead has been captured after weeks of disruption and injuries. The bird, described as unusually plump, was caught by local resident Steve Harris with help from a falconer, ending the aerial menace that affected the community and Royal Mail deliveries.
A Harris’s hawk that had been terrorising the residents of Flamstead, a small village in Hertfordshire, by dive-bombing tall men has finally been captured. The bird, described as “as fat as a barrel”, had repeatedly swooped on as many as 50 people since early March, leaving some victims injured. One elderly man was left covered in blood after the hawk cut the top of his head while he tried to get into his car.
The village had been disrupted by the aggressive bird, which even led to the Royal Mail confirming that its deliveries to the area had been affected. The hawk took up residence in the garden of local resident Steve Harris, preventing his children from using the space safely.
Speaking to the BBC, Steve Harris explained, “Every morning, we wake up and see it up in the tree, getting braver and braver. I’ve been working from home watching it, thinking we’ve got to get this bird gone.” On Thursday morning, Mr Harris managed to capture the hawk in a moment of spontaneity after the bird had been chasing him around the village during a run. “When I got back, it flew down to the top of my shed,” he said. Using a cage left by a falconer to protect himself, Mr Harris threw the bird into it and trapped it. “I screamed out for the falconer to come and help, and he came and tamed it.”
Falconer Alan Greenhalgh assisted in capturing and taming the bird, telling the BBC that he had witnessed the hawk “terrorising two or three people”. He described the moment Mr Harris called for help: “Steve came running out of his garden, ‘Quick, quick, quick, I think I’ve got it’.” The falconer added, “I ran into Steve’s garden and the bird was having a go at him again… we managed to get hold of it before it got loose and luckily otherwise we would have been back to square one.”
Mr Greenhalgh speculated that the hawk’s aggression might be due to it being a young “hormonal” male. He also noted that the bird had grown plump because villagers had been leaving food out in an attempt to lure it over the weeks prior to its capture. The successful capture ended weeks of disturbance for the people of Flamstead, who can now breathe easier with the threat from the sky removed.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.vice.com/en/article/hawk-captured-after-terrorizing-british-village-for-weeks/ – Supports the hawk’s attacks on 50 people in Flamstead, including injuries and disruptions to daily life.
- https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2025-04-04/hawk-that-terrorised-village-for-weeks-was-hormonal – Corroborates Steve Harris’s capture method (using a cage) and the hawk’s hormonal behavior.
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/hawk-captured-flamstead-hertfordshire-b2726996.html – Describes Steve Harris’s jogging encounter and the hawk’s capture in his garden.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7DrMsWH0kw – Confirms Steve Harris’s humane capture of the hawk in Flamstead, Hertfordshire.
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/hawk-flamstead-hertfordshire-hormones-b2727300.html – Details falconer Alan Greenhalgh’s involvement and the hormonal cause of the hawk’s aggression.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative appears recent due to its focus on ongoing events and specific timeline cues (e.g., capture occurring since early March). However, without a specific publication date or detailed historical context, the score does not reach maximum freshness.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
Quotes from Steve Harris and Alan Greenhalgh are directly attributed and contextualized within the narrative, suggesting they are original or recent in origin.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative originates from The Daily Star, a UK tabloid newspaper known for sensational reporting. While not entirely unreliable, it lacks the gravitas of more prestigious outlets like the BBC, which is also referenced in the narrative.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims seem plausible given the specific details and local context provided. The involvement of a falconer and the description of the hawk’s behavior support the plausibility of the events.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative passes due to its contextual plausibility, direct quotes, and recent events, but confidence is tempered by the source being a tabloid with potentially sensational reporting.
