"We're getting calls from all over the country," said Wilma van Rixel, of the Stonehenge Wildlife center.

Abu, who is normally kept in an enclosure, disappeared Friday while training for flying demonstrations staged by staff and birds from the center in Schoonrewoerd, southern Netherlands.

After taking off, the bird couldn't fight gusty winds and thermals to descend, and eventually disappeared into clouds, said Van Rixel.

Staff put little faith in most of the reported sightings because the vulture would be hard to distinguish from an airborne heron, common throughout the Netherlands, or a stork.

While asking for help locating Abu, staff at the center have advised the public not to try to catch him, warning that he could peck at their ears or fingers, particularly as he likely has not eaten for a few days.

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