Tests are being carried out to determine whether a buzzard which turned up with a broken leg in Clifden, Co Galway, this week could have come from war-torn Afghanistan.
The rough legged buzzard is found in the US, Eastern Europe, and, most notably, Afghanistan. It is being cared for by bird enthusiast and artist, Mr Padraic Reaney, who has been bringing it back to health at his Moycullen home. He put the bird's leg into a plaster, which he expects to remove in four weeks.
He will then return it to its natural habitat. "We have to do a bit of detective work to find out where the bird flew from, which certainly adds to the excitement and intrigue."