Parrot worth $2,500 stolen from porch of California home in broad daylight

A devastated California family is asking for help after their $2,500 pet parrot was snatched from their front porch and stolen by a brazen thief in broad daylight.

The hooded bird thief headed for the porch and aggressively grabbed the 4-by-2-foot birdcage with the parrot inside on March 12, according to footage obtained by ABC 7.

The thief was captured alongside a second man, pushing the cage into the back of a red SUV before taking off with the animal.

Police believe at least two people were involved in the theft, the outlet added.

The African gray parrot named Luna was snatched from outside the Orange County home in the early afternoon.

The family say their winged companion was out for some fresh air and they are surprised at how quickly he was taken away.

“Usually we take it out for a little while, just to get some sun, and the person just comes in and within seconds has the bird and the cage,” said Karen Gerardo, one of the Luna owners.

Luna – who has been with the family for 10 years – is the family’s son’s pet, and the bird is said to be very attached to the son.

“My brother tried to chase them but they quickly left on Main towards Warner,” Abigail Ayapantecatl wrote in a Facebook post asking the public for help.

Gerardo said Luna was “a joy to have around” and even knew how to sing and imitate certain movies and TV shows and would say “hello” if someone answered the phone around him.

“It’s no different losing a dog or a cat,” Gerardo told the outlet. “Birds, in particular, have their own personality. It is therefore a loss for our house.

Gerardo said his family has received an outcry of support from social media and local pet store owners and hopes someone will identify the suspects involved.

The cage robber was seen in a charcoal gray hoodie, gray gloves and light gray tracksuits, with his alleged accomplice wearing a tan bucket hat and black hoodie.

The SUV did not have a license plate at the time of the theft, according to Ayapantecatl’s post.

The African gray parrot – which can live to be 70-80 years old – is considered a brilliant bird, with studies showing some can perform “cognitive tasks at levels above those of 5-year-old humans”.

The parrot breed can be valued between $2,500 and $5,000.

“It was difficult,” Gerardo said. “It was a 4′ by 2′ [cage] in the middle of our living room, and having that void is a daily reminder that our pet is no longer with us. Not because it died, but because it was stolen by someone.