Owner offers $1200 reward for return of missing bird

Have you seen this bird? He has been missing since April 12 and his distraught owner has offered a $1200 reward for his return.

Petey, a 10-year-old light blue ringneck, has been missing from Bracken Ridge since April 12.

A DISTRAUGHT Bracken Ridge woman has offered a $1200 reward for the safe return of her bird who has been missing for almost three weeks.

Petey, a 10-year-old light blue ringneck, flew out of his aviary during a food change on April 12.

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Owner Ivana Rohrlach said they were able to track him a kilometre away in the first 20 minutes.

Ivana Rohrlach and Petey, before he went missing.

“We found him on Barfoot St (near the overpass) in a tree and called him. As he was flying towards us two butcherbirds chased him off.”

That was the last time Mrs Rohrlach saw Petey but she hasn’t given up hope of being reunited with “my best friend for 10 years”.

The family has printed up 20 large signs which have been moved around the 4017 area, organised 800 letterbox drops, posted regularly on local Facebook sites as well as lost and found Australia, Queensland and Brisbane sites, and contacted vets and the RSPCA.

“A kind soul has just offered to put up an image of him on a digital billboard on the Deagon Deviation — no charge,” Mrs Rohrlach said this morning.

Petey (on right) and his partner Stormy.

“We still think we can get him back if the community gets behind him and us.

“We decided to offer $1200 in the hope of getting him back as people’s pets are unfortunately kept these days and we wanted to give people in the area an incentive to keep an eye out for him.

“We’ve had no sightings of him — ones which were sighted have been females or birds of the same description with rings.

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“We have a feeling he’s still local. We want to encourage people who are in bushlands daily to keep an eye out in case he’s out there on his own.

“If you say ‘Petey what a good boy’ he repeats it and does a soft wolf whistle.”

Petey has been missing since April 12.

She said Petey was recall trained “so when you hold a nut in your hand and say ‘peanut time Petey’ he comes to you. Just offer your elbow as he doesn’t like hands, and once safely on you just walk indoors.”

Mrs Rohrlach has owned Petey for 10 years.

“He was originally found (as a juvenile) by a lady in her kitchen; he got in though her doggie door.

“Then he was handed to Brisbane Bird Vet but no one ever claimed him so I adopted him.

“He’s been my best friend for 10 years.”

In the last couple of months Petey has lived in an aviary with his partner Stormy and two other birds.

“His partner isn’t coping and neither am I,” Ms Rohrlach said.

Petey has a black ring around his neck and no metal rings on his feet.

Mrs Rohrlach said she took comfort from a recent Facebook post about another bird which was located not far from her home a week after going missing.

“That story is keeping me sane at the moment,” she said.

Anyone with information on Petey can contact Mrs Rohrlach on 0401 306 554.