Animal welfare officials were called to pick up the wayward fowl after it was “caught sneaking around the security area at the Pentagon”.

In a Facebook post, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington said the chicken was brought to a shelter and will soon be rehomed.

Commenters suggested names for the chicken, including “Julia” after Julia Child, who worked for a predecessor to the CIA before becoming a renowned chef.

The most popular suggestion was “Penny”, short for Pentagon, while others suggested the names of various foreign spies caught throughout US history.