'Star' loses her 'Twinkle'

Tuesday 09 July 2019

'Twinkle' an African Grey Parrot, who went missing from his home more than two weeks ago, is still thought to be roaming Guernsey's skies.

He flew out a window at his home in St Martin's, where he lives with his sister 'Star', on 21 June.

Despite being spotted a number of times he is yet to make it back to the safety of home. 

"I've got a dog and she panics when I'm not around," explained Twinkle's owner Kimberley Fletcher, "so if I'm out in the garden she likes to jump on the sofa, push the window open and jump out to get to me. When I'm not in the room I shut the kitchen door. My ten-year-old was up on the xbox and I was popping to my neighbour's. The window was shut but not latched. [My son] comes down and opens the kitchen door, the dog comes out, sees I'm not here, panics, goes straight to the window, pushes it wide open as she jumps out, Twinkle walks along the windowsill and flies off."

Since then Kimberley has been searching the island for the parrot, which has been in her care for around three years.

"I went out looking for him straight away," she continued. "Because I wasn't here to see which direction he went it was just blind. The next morning I started getting it out on Facebook and I phoned the GSPCA.

Pictured: Winston the African Grey Parrot which Kimberley recently re-homed.

"That afternoon the GSPCA called and said he's in somebody's garden in their oak tree at Petit Bot, so I phoned the bloke and we were there all day trying to get him down. A friend even climbed up the tree and as he reached up to get Twinkle he flew off out of that tree. We found him again and he was right up so again [we spent] hours trying to coax him down, whistling.

"They've got a cage that stays outside that they sit in the garden with me in, so I got somebody to come and pick up that cage thinking he might see it and fly down to it. He wasn't budging and he just kept going higher and higher and then took off."

Over the past couple of weeks, Kimberley has heard of another four sightings of the bird and has searched each area. She has handed out 150 posters and is encouraging visitors and locals to look out for Twinkle's red tail.

"He's got an identity ring on his ankle," Kimberley added. "He's a distinctive one because not many of them have flecks of red on their body and wings but he does. All their claws are usually black and all of his are black except for one - that's why he's called Twinkle Toes."

Pictured: Missing parrot Twinkle.

Twinkle is just over five years old and lives with his sister Star. Both parrots were given to Kimberley by a friend who was unable to look after them.

Although Twinkle managed to escape for a matter of hours last year, he has never been missing for so long and Kimberley is growing concerned for his welfare.

"I understand not everybody knows about it but surely people have got common sense," she said. "If you see a bird like that you must know it's not a wild bird and to contact the animal shelter as soon as possible, not think 'oh look there goes a £1,000 African Grey' and think nothing of it.

"They're expensive and they're becoming harder to get hold of in Guernsey. He's friendly, he speaks, he whistles, he does all sorts.

If anyone spots a grey parrot with a bright red tail, or hears whistling in the trees, they are asked to contact Kimberley directly on 07781 455818 or call the GSPCA's 24-hour service on 257261.

"People are being really sweet and I really appreciate everyone," Kimberley added. "He's alive and I know he's alright."

Pictured top: Owner Kimberley and missing parrot Twinkle.