ET, the European eagle owl, has gone home after five days of freedom.
The eight-month-old bird, which has a six-foot wingspan, was in Beaumont Leys, Leicester.
The owl was finally reunited with owner Steve White after being spotted perched on the porch of a house in Lords Avenue on Wednesday.
Student Liam Eldridge called the RSPCA after spotting the bird on his neighbour's house at about 1.15pm.
The 17-year-old said despite repeated attempts to lure her down, ET refused to go home for four hours.
Liam said: "It was quite funny, really, because the owl just kept flying off from house to house."
He said the RSPCA called the owner's ex-wife, Theresa White, who had reported ET missing after the owl flew off from her aviary on Saturday.
Stuart Lakin, who helps look after ET, tried to coax the owl down with lumps of chicken, but was unsuccessful.
Liam said: "It was only when the man who owned the bird came that the owl finally flew down.
"It landed on his leather glove. There were quite a few people around watching and they all clapped and cheered."
Mrs White, of Beaumont Leys, who allows her former husband to keep ET and three other owls at her house, said everyone was delighted to get the bird home.
The 53-year-old said: "She has lost a bit of weight but she's okay.
"We were worried about her because she can't hunt and feed herself."
She said she was called ET because when she moved to get a piece of chicken her neck extended like the film alien.
