A bird usually found at sea has been rescued from a flat in Hackney.

Animal welfare charity, RSPCA, was called after someone spotted a cormorant sitting on a plant pot on a balcony in the borough.

Animal rescue officer Nick Jonas managed to catch the large fish-eating bird quickly on January 13, and took him to a wildlife centre for a check up.

He said: "Cormorants are stunning birds and not ones you would normally expect to find in the middle of the city - let alone sitting on plant pots.

Nick suspects that the animal stunned himself by flying into something and got lost.

He added: "Although stunned [the bird] was still very alert and feisty."

“Fortunately he didn’t have any breaks or bleeding so I think he was just stunned.

"He’s a beautiful bird and he’s now been released back to the wild after some TLC at a wildlife centre.”

Hackney Gazette: The cormorant was wrapped up and taken to a RSPCA wildlife centre for a check up.The cormorant was wrapped up and taken to a RSPCA wildlife centre for a check up. (Image: RSPCA)

Last year the RSPCA admitted 14 cormorants to its wildlife centres.

Cormorants are usually found near the sea or inland sites where fish are plentiful, like reservoirs, rivers and fish farms.

To support rescue teams visit www.rspca.org.uk/xmas and #JoinTheRescue