Earl the Missing African Gray Parrot Might've Been Seen Eating Pumpkin Seed in Evergreen Park

An update from Justin Lemberg on Earl, the African Gray parrot who has been missing from his Evergreen Park home since Nov. 1.

I just wanted to keep everyone who has been helping out up to date with what we heard today. A woman in Evergreen Park may have seen Earl as recently as yesterday at 8 a.m. (11/13/2014). A bird matching his description was eating pumpkin seeds from an exploded pumpkin just 20 feet from her front door. She described it as a grey bird, with a red tail, black wings, and a hooked beak. It flew off before she could get a photo, but it stayed consistently low and level to the ground interestingly enough (Earl is used to flying indoors). The woman who saw this bird called an African Grey owner in the area who had read about Earl’s disappearance on patch.com.

» READ: Bring Earl Home: Beloved Pet Missing

And that woman called us this morning. When I showed her the photos of Earl, she was convinced that that was the bird she saw. This all happened 1 mile west of where he escaped on the 1st, so it is possible that he has been surviving out there this whole time feeding on bird seed and pumpkins in the area in the morning and then roosting near a heat vent the rest of the time. Josh and I put 300 fliers in mailboxes around the block, asking them to keep a look out for him, and we are going to return tomorrow morning around sunrise to keep up the search. This is the most substantive lead I’ve had so far, and because it was so cold the past couple days I’m hoping he didn’t travel very far.

For me at least, the search resumes at sunrise near 9220 S Springfield Ave, Evergreen Park. David Willard sent an update to IBET and the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors to ask local birders to join in the search as well (https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ILbirds/conversations/messages/70849).

If anyone is in the area and sees something resembling a parrot, call me (773-456-1434) or Josh (773-480-4810).

I want to thank everyone who has helped us scour the internet for traces of our beloved avian-toddler. I have never felt as optimistic that we may find him as I do now. I know that I may be deluding myself that we’ll ever get him back, but I want to thank you for the hope that you have given us. It really means a lot to us, and I will provide updates as soon as I have them.

Thank you so much,

Justin Lemberg