Syracuse.com - Manlius woman continues 4-month search for her missing African grey parrot

[HuntingNY-News]

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"If someone brings him back to me, I'll pay $1,000 - no questions asked," she said.

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<p><br />Joanna Steffan is relentless.</p>

<p>But after four months of searching in vain for Kiwi, her lost African grey parrot, the Manlius woman is also becoming realistic.</p>

<p>During the past four months, Steffan has had several close calls when she thought she was going to get him back. She said she's put nearly 30,000 miles on her car, searching almost daily for her beloved bird. She's offered a $1,000 reward.<br /> <br />No luck.</p>

<p>"I just want closure,' the Manlius woman, said, noting the last sighting of the bird was 10 days ago on the railing of deck of a home on Oran-Delphi Road in the Manlius-Pompey area.</p>

<p>"That was when the weather was warm. After that the cold spell started. He hasn't been seen since," she said.</p>

<p>Steffan has been looking for the 14-year-old exotic bird since it flew away from her in her backyard on July 3, when the sound of fireworks frightened it. Kiwi is the size of a large pigeon, she said, with grey body feathers, red tail, white face mask, yellow eyes and black beak.</p>

<p>Since that time, there's been several sightings. Ten days after he disappeared, Steffan said she spotted Kiwi on a rooftop in the village of Cazenovia.</p>

<p>"I called his name and he responded by whistling back," she said. However, the bird would not come to her. She called Cazenovia village police and they said they couldn't help her without the owner's permission to get on the roof.</p>

<p>The next day she returned with the owners' permission and a police officer in tow. Kiwi was gone.</p>

<p>Since that time there's several other sitings, Steffan said. Locations include Delphi Falls, the Fabius-Pompey area and, near the DeRuyter Reservoir.</p>

<p>Steffan voice cracks and she get very emotional talking about Kiwi. She's had the bird it since he was a young chick of three months. She emphasizes it's very intelligent.</p>

<p>African grey parrots are one of the "most popular avian pets in Europe, the United States and the Middle East due to their longevity and unparalleled ability to mimac human speech and other sounds," according to Cornell University's birdlife.org website.</p>

<p> Kiwi has an extra special talent, Steffan said. He mastered the voice of her husband, who died three years ago.</p>

<p>"When I talked to Kiwi, it was like I talked to my husband," she said.</p>

<p>Last night's frigid temperatures that dipped into the 20s and this morning's frost, left Steffan worried.</p>

<p>As for the ability of tropical parrots to handle the cold, birdchannel.com notes:</p>

<p>"Most parrots, even those from the tropics, can handle short periods (two or three days) of extreme cold -- if they have been allowed to become gradually acclimated to it. However, if your parrot has spent its entire life in your 70-degrees Fahrenheit home and you suddenly put it in an outdoor flight in 20 degrees Fahrenheit weather, that bird would probably get hypothermia. Sudden temperature changes can be very stressful to pet birds," the website said.</p>

<p>Steffan said is hopeful that Kiwi has sought refuge in a warm place out of the wind, such as a farmer's barn. She points out it's going to get warmer later in the week.</p>

<p>"I've been driving around asking farmers and homeowners to check their barn, garages and other out buildings. I get up every morning to search for him, " she said. "Like I said, if someone brings him back to me, I'll pay $1,000 - no questions asked.</p>

<p>Anyone with information about Kiwi can call 447-2814 or email <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.<br /></p>

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog