ANIMAL lover Sarah Parker is appealing for people to keep a look out for a parrot flapping around Bramcote.
The nine-year-old African Grey Congo parrot, called Oliver, has been missing from home for five weeks.
He used to sing, dance, and welcome Miss Parker each time she entered her home near Church Street, Bramcote.
She is offering a reward to anyone who can help find Oliver – who cost her £600 as a baby from a specialist breeder.
"I miss him so much," said Sarah, 43. "He's my best friend. He interacts a lot. He's a singer, whistler, dancer and talker."
Oliver flew out of Sarah's home when she answered the front door while cleaning his cage.
"I saw him fly off," she said. "It feels awful. The house just feels empty now. He was always chattering and listening to the radio. He had a good sense of humour.
"He was such a cheeky chappie; when you were talking to someone and looking the other way he will do a little dance behind you.
"I miss how he says hello every time I come in and goodbye every time I leave the house," she added.
Sarah has already put leaflets through 800 doors in the area and ventured to Arnold and Long Eaton to put up posters to help track Oliver down. She has also used social media.
Oliver has been micro chipped, so if somebody finds him they can simply take him to their local vet.
But Sarah is worried for his wellbeing as he had never flown outside on his own before, or gathered his own food.
"Parrots easily get psychological problems which can lead to them pulling their feathers out," said Sarah. "I'm worried to death about him."
Rebecca Blagg, of Eastwood-based Guardian Angels Bird Sanctuary, said larger birds like African Greys are unlikely to travel far if they escape.
"It might have landed in someone's garden and be settling in there," she said. "The bigger birds tend not to fly that far because they aren't fit enough having been in cages most of their lives."
Rebecca said if anyone finds Oliver they should feed him a balanced diet, not just seeds.
"Scrambled egg is a good source of protein," she said. "They have a similar diet to us. Most people just feed them seeds but it isn't enough."
She advised anyone who finds the parrot to take it to the vet in a dog or cat carrying case as African Greys can probably chew through a cardboard box, so it might not be best to keep it in one of those for very long.
