BANGOR, Maine — Anyone missing a pet cockatiel?
That’s what Greg Canders wants to know.
Canders was in his front yard on the east side of Bangor just before 6 p.m. Friday when he heard a rustling of feathers in his ornamental spruce tree.
“I saw it was a white bird and thought it might be a dove, then I saw the feathers stand up on its head and I said, ‘That’s a cockatiel,’’’ Canders said.
Canders then recruited his son Zac Canders to help him get the bird out of the tree as darkness and the temperature continued falling.
“I shimmied up the tree. My son helped me. I talked to the bird a little bit and it was interested. It’s definitely been around humans. I reached out and caught it, then it bit me. It put a couple of holes in my finger,” Canders said.
Despite the wound, he was able to put the bird safely into a box. He then called the Bangor Humane Society, but it was closed. He tried the animal control office and got sent to a police dispatcher.
The dispatcher said, “that’s a first for me,’’ Canders said, recounting his conversation about the bird.
Cockatiels originated in Australia and are one of the most popular pet birds in the U.S., according to the website cockatiels.com. They are 12-14 inches long and generally live between 16 and 25 years.
Canders plans to keep the bird overnight and then contact the Humane Society Saturday.
Anyone who can identify themselves as the bird’s owner can reach Canders at mainediver1231@yahoo.com.