'Lucky' buzzard rescued from lorry air vent in Suffolk

A bird of prey found trapped in a lorry radiator has surprised his rescuers by recovering in just two weeks.

Suffolk Owl Sanctuary was called to a vehicle near Ipswich and discovered the buzzard "firmly wedged" in a vent.

Falconer Jess Barrell said: "He was very lucky. Usually in cases like this we see things like concussion, broken legs and internal injuries.

"We were surprised to find he had just one broken feather and, after a rest, he was good to go."

She said it was not uncommon for birds of prey to be clipped by vehicles and sucked into air vents, as they often feed at the side of roads.

The buzzard, which suffered bruising, was released close to where it was rescued after two weeks of assessment in an aviary.

Suffolk Owl Sanctuary is a charity based in Stonham Aspal that treats injured birds of prey and promotes owl conservation in the UK.