Woman plays chirps of missing bird's pals in hope of return

A woman has launched a desperate search to try to find her missing pet cockatiel, using a speaker to play the calls of his "fretting" friends in the hope of a reunion.

Nicola Key, from Stoke-on-Trent, was moving her three cockatiels into her house from an outside aviary on Saturday evening when 13-year-old Charlie flew away.

Almost five days later, there has been no sign of the yellow-headed absconder, despite help from neighbours and playing a recording of the other two birds – Ivo and Snowy.

"For a little bird, Charlie has so much personality - he means everything to us," Key told BBC Radio Stoke, adding she had been out "all hours of the day" to search for him.

She said: "He's a massive part of the family and the other two birds are fretting – they miss him so much. They're pacing up and down and they're constantly calling for him."

The 45-year-old said Charlie, who had never flown off before, had gone missing from her home in the Milton area of the city and headed in the direction of Norton.

She instantly called on family members to help on the night he vanished but, despite searching "high and low", he could not be found.

She has continued to search the local area with help from the community but said the number of trees around had made it difficult.

"I've just been going out at all hours of the day just trying to cover the area," she said.

In the meantime, while Ivo and Snowy continue to call out for their friend, Key has also put food and water out for Charlie in the hope that he will return.

Key has also recorded the calls made by Ivo and Snowy, playing them throughout the day through a Bluetooth speaker at the house and while she was out searching.

She added: "Charlie is very tame but he's going to be very scared and very hungry."

Asked how people could help, Key said the best time to keep an eye out was when the sun was coming up or when it was going down as that might be the time he comes out of hiding.

Because of his age, she believed he would still be relatively close and urged residents to check their back gardens, hedges and nearby trees.

Key said people should be able to pick him up, adding that he might try to fly off but he was likely "exhausted".

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