Have You Seen this Bird?

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Someone plucked a blue Quaker parrot priced at $900 from its perch at a Waukesha pet store, and police are looking for help snaring the bird-napper.

The pricey bird was discovered missing from its cage at Pet World Warehouse Outlet on E. Moreland Blvd. about 4:30 p.m. Nov. 20 when a worker went to change the bird's water and found an empty cage, Waukesha police said Monday.

The baby-blue bird with a white chest is prized for its color.

Usually, Quaker parrots are light green and sell for about $300, store representatives said.

Why would somebody pay $900 for a blue Quaker, or risk a criminal record stealing one?

"It's really pretty. It's a really sweet bird and it loves to snuggle," said Amanda McFarlane, an assistant manager at the store.

At about 8 inches from beak to tail, the blue Quaker is about half the size of Amazon and African grey parrots.

...The thief had popped open the bottom portion of the cage and snatched the bird, she said.

Although the store has security cameras, there is no footage of a thief because the bird's cage was out of view of the camera, McFarlane said.

When asked whether it was possible that an employee took the bird, McFarlane said emphatically, "Absolutely not."

She figures someone tucked the bird into a coat and walked out.

"Someone could easily put it in their jacket and she would be quite content," McFarlane said.

TIPS
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the missing bird is asked to call Waukesha police at (262) 524-3831.

I bet a reward might help locate the bird or the birdnapper.