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Auburn Man Searching For Missing Goshawk, Malinka

AUBURN (CBS13) — A beloved trained goshawk in Auburn took flight after a scare with another bird, and now her owner wants her found.

David Smith with his bird, Malinka.

"Malinka is a goshawk. I think it's Northern European for 'little darling.' She happens to be a hybrid. She is half Siberian. That's the white color in her. A goshawk is a raptor, a hawk. It's a forest hawk, not a falcon," said owner David Smith.

Smith purchased Malinka in May, raising her at his Auburn home and keeping her in a mews while he trained her for falconry.

"With raptors and hawks and eagles, you train them through their stomach," he said.

The bond between the two is strong.

"She is my girlfriend, don't tell my wife," Smith joked.

About a month ago, Smith said he was excited for Malinka's first free-release where she would work off-string, until the unthinkable happened.

"A local coopers hawk took a swing at her and flew right at her, scared her and she went up into the trees and I've been chasing her ever since," Smith said.

Malinka has been sighted in the area a few times and Smith almost caught her once.

"I physically had to grab her and she grabbed me back by the way and got me right by the leg and didn't let go. The talons are quite serious," Smith said.

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That's why he advises people not to try and catch her, even though they might want to.

"Unfortunately, she is probably hunting people's chickens," Smith said.

Malinka is a cagey bird, but Smith hopes not too cagey.

"What I'm afraid [of] is somebody is going to shoot her. Of course, that would be against federal law and carries a very hefty fine," Smith said.

If you see Malinka, call the Gold Country Rescue in Auburn and they will send a crew out.

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