"I believe it's one of those high-class birds with a price anywhere between SR50,000 and SR100,000," said Khaled Al-Johani, who said he expects anyone claiming to be the owner of the bird to be able to prove his ownership.

The bird still had the nooses around its legs, used by the falconer to hold the bird on the glove until it is released for the kill. Falconry season recently ended in the region.

Using falcons to hunt for birds is a popular and much-loved pastime of Arabs. There are many kinds of hunting falcons, the most famous of which are Gyr, Saker, Peregrine and Lanner.