NEW YORK  — Police in New York City have captured an "early bird" at Penn Station.

The New York Post reports workers with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority called police for help Sunday night after a red-shouldered hawk that was chasing a pigeon ended up in a transit booth.

Police say Detective Joseph Bucchignano removed the uninjured hawk from the booth, caged it, and released it over the Hudson River.

The New York Police Department jokingly tweeted that the hawk "attempted to beat the holiday rush," but it "missed the train."

It is unclear what happened to the pigeon.

Officers on this side of the Hudson are no strangers to animal rescues, much like their brothers and sisters in the NYPD. Just on Sunday officers in neighboring Bayonne rescued a pup that had jumped into the Newark Bay. Last month police on the Jersey Shore rescued a dog that was trapped in the Brigantine Bay. Officers have also helped a pig, a flock of turkeys, a cow on the side of a highway and even snakes.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

More From 92.7 WOBM