Beaconsfield, Que., residents band together to search for exotic African grey parrot

Neighbours, friends, relatives and even the mayor’s wife are getting involved in the search for a missing Beaconsfield, Que., parrot.

Gertie, the African grey parrot, flew out of its cage a week ago from a Beaconsfield home and hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

The exotic bird lives with her cage mate, Koji, who also managed to get away but was found shortly afterward in a tall tree.

“It took me 18 hours to get him down, two nights in the tree, and I got out at 3 a.m. before the sunrise trying to find out which tree he had moved to. And then, finally, I got him down,” Lisa Lipari, Gertie’s owner, told Global News.

Lipari has posted signs in the neighbourhood and is turning to Facebook to get the message out. Lipari says she’s offering a large reward for Gertie’s safe return.

“Google parrot sounds. African grey. If that’s what you heard, call me and I will come immediately. And she’ll fly to me. She’s super friendly. She doesn’t bite,” Lipari said.

Lipari fears someone else may have taken in the bird and is unaware that it needs to be returned to its owner.

She’s also worried that the bird may have fallen to prey, such as hawks or foxes if she’s injured.

“I’m worried obviously. They’re like children, because they speak to us and you can converse with them, but they’re really special animals and they’re really delicate and sensitive,” she said.

Neighbours are hoping Gertie will be found so she can be reunited with her cage mate.

“It really pulls at the heartstrings to think of her out there and missing,” Diana Samyde, a neighbour of Lipari’s, told Global News.

Even the mayor’s wife is getting involved in the ongoing search.

“She yells or screams or whistles, trying to get the parrot to get back. It’s a sad story. I hope it ends up in the right way and is actually found,” Beaconsfield Mayor Georges Bourelle told Global News.

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