Danny Boy the bird reunites with owners - Pet health - MSNBC.com

Pet bird found after incredible journey : He flew the coop in Carpinteria, later turned up in Pasadena
JAMES ZOLTAK, NEWS-PRESS ASSISTANT CITY EDITOR

March 18, 2008

It was a story that seemed more suitable for April Fools’ Day, but Jamie McLeod, executive director of the Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary in Summerland, insists that the tale of Danny Boy, a macaw that was found in Pasadena 15 months after he flew the coop in Carpinteria, is nothing less than a St. Patrick’s Day miracle.

"This is the most amazing drama," said Ms. McLeod. "My whole week has basically been devoted to trying to figure this thing out."

The owner is Greg Vasilakos, formerly of Carpinteria, who, along with his wife, Susan, had raised Danny Boy, a harlequin macaw, from a baby and kept him for at least 10 years, even letting him sit at the dinner table for evening meals.

Then came the fateful day -- Dec. 6, 2006 -- when the bird, startled by something while enjoying some fresh air in the Vasilakos’ yard, flew away and was not seen again by its heartbroken owners.

They put out the word of their missing bird on a parrot-related Web site called 911 Parrot Alert, as well as others, but heard nothing.

Then a macaw was found flying free on March 12 in Pasadena and taken to the Pasadena Humane Society, which put a snapshot of the blue-, green- and yellow-hued bird on its Web site.

And in a remarkable example of how bird lovers of a feather flock together in the Internet age, Ms. McLeod got a call from Pam Waldron, a coordinator for 911 Parrot Alert who volunteers at Foster Parrots Ltd., a parrot rescue, adoption and sanctuary outfit in Rockland, Mass., informing her that a bird matching the description of Danny Boy was found not far from where he was lost.

"There certainly is a bit of network (among parrot aficionados)," said Paul Brennan, a director at Foster Parrots. "There is this Parrot 911 thing and there are a lot of discussion groups and Internet networking . . . Parrot owners tend to be a unique breed, I guess. You have to be a special kind of crazy to be able to live with a parrot."

He noted that a harlequin macaw, which he described as a pet industry-produced cross between a scarlet macaw and a blue and gold macaw, if cared for properly, can live an average of 60-75 years. Some can survive to be 100 if kept in good health.

Ms. McLeod, with whom the Vasilakoses had boarded Danny Boy on occasion, went to the Pasadena Humane Society Web site and concluded there was a good chance that the parrot depicted in a white cage and listed as found on March 12 was indeed the bird in question.
"The bird’s face, to me, looked the same," she said.

She set about tracking down the owners, only to find that their contact information was no longer valid because they had moved away. She sent a staffer to their former residence, but the new owners said they thought the Vasilakoses had moved to L.A.

When that lead didn’t pan out, she turned to a friend who works in real estate who searched and found a local woman with the same name.

Ms. McLeod called her and it turned out to be the daughter of Danny Boy’s owners.

She informed Ms. McLeod that her parents had moved to Colorado. Ms. McLeod asked her to forward the number to the Vasilakoses with the news that Danny Boy might have been found.
"An hour later, I get a call," she said.

Mr. Vasilakos contacted the Pasadena Humane Society and asked to speak with the bird. The manager was skeptical.

Mr. Vasilakos tried a different tack. He said that Danny Boy had a certain talent: If you asked him to wave while offering him a treat, he would pick up his foot and wave it about.

The Humane Society folks gave it a shot, and sure enough, Danny Boy did his routine.

Their doubts faded and they put the Vasilakoses on speaker phone. As they spoke with phrases and in a manner familiar to the bird, Danny Boy, who had been "sullen and morose" according to Ms. McCleod, perked up, fluffed up his feathers and became animated. He waved his little foot throughout the ensuing conversation.

After an exchange of additional digital photos, both the Humane Society folks and the Vasilakoses were convinced that the parrot in Pasadena was indeed Danny Boy.

Ms. McLeod plans to drive to Pasadena today to try and positively identify the bird, and if all goes well she will take it back to the Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary in Summerland before making arrangements for the Vasilakoses to come pick him up.

"This is a transcontinental endeavor here," Mr. Brennan said.

He explained that the distance between Carpinteria and Pasadena, about 80 miles as the macaw flies, is "nothing for a parrot;" and given Southern California’s climate and an abundance of available food, it is not terribly surprising that Danny Boy made the journey and survived this long in the wild.

Of course, he might have been taken in by another would-be parrot owner only to escape again.

Either way, it’s a coincidence that gives new meaning to "the luck of the Irish."

"It’s almost unbelievable," Ms. McLeod said. "I kept pinching myself, thinking, ’Am I dreaming?’ "

Amazingly wonderful story! I guess there is always hope!

This almost brought tears to my eyes. Great story! Thanks Kimba!

Thanks real good story.

Thanks for the great story! I was thinking about this part though..... Parrot owners tend to be a unique breed, I guess. You have to be a special kind of crazy to be able to live with a parrot." I think we're all very lucky. I have a circus in my livingroom 24/7. Bring in the clowns er a parrots that is!