Veteran investigative reporter Lance Williams of California Watch tipped us off to this caper: there was a chicken running lose in the Elmwood a few days ago.

Fortunately, a kind citizen noticed the bird trying to cross Ashby Avenue, picked it up, and took it home. The Good Samaritan then put up this poster seeking the bird’s owner.

The rescuer did not identify himself, but Williams used his well-honed investigative skills to determine his identity. As he writes on the California Watch blog, “Nobody is answering the phone listed on the poster, but research suggests the man who rescued the chicken is Matt Tsang, gardening teacher at Willard Middle School on Telegraph Avenue, which has beautiful vegetable gardens, spring and fall.”

Williams then goes on to explore the legality of having chickens and roosters in Berkeley and other locales.

We just want to know: who owns this bird?