A PARAKEET who got lost after flying away from home has been reunited with her relieved owners. 

Nadia, a blue-throated conure, flew out of an open door at her home in Grosvenor Road, Scarborough, earlier this month and was "spooked by a wild bird" causing her to dart off.

She was later found by Royal Mail workers who were delivering post in the area when she swooped down and landed in the postman’s trolley.

RSPCA animal collection officer (ACO) Lucy Green said: “This really was a first-class rescue by a quick-thinking postman so I’d like to thank him for managing to catch the frightened little bird and for delivering her to a safe location.

“He took the important - and beautiful - package back to the Royal Mail’s Scarborough delivery office in Aberdeen Walk, and they called us in.

“I took the colourful parakeet along to Battle Flatts vets, in Stamford Bridge, for a check-up and, luckily, she had an identification ring fitted so we were able to trace her owners and reunite them.

“I’m so pleased we were able to get Nadia home to her family who had been so worried about her. It’s always good to have a happy ending and shows how important it is to ring or microchip pet birds.

“She’s a lovely, friendly little bird who loves sitting on shoulders and makes lots of noise if you don’t give her enough attention!

"She’s clearly a much-loved pet bird so I’m thrilled we were able to get her home quickly and safely.”

Nadia’s owner Eva Fiedller-Siudem and her family were thrilled to have the young bird - who was hatched in December so is just a few months old - home.

They’d made posters and put them up in the local area, and shown Nadia’s photo around and asked people to keep a look-out.

Ms Green added: “My colleague returned Nadia home just a few days after she’d gone missing and her owner was so happy and grateful, she gave the officer a huge hug!”

“She’d spent the night out looking for her and hadn’t been able to sleep as she was so worried.

“A big thank you to the postal workers who managed to confine her and keep her safe, and to John Hayward from the Parrot Society and National Theft Register who helped us find Nadia’s owners.”

Over the past five years, RSPCA officers have rescued 2,052 stray psittacines (birds that belong to the parrot family including macaws and parakeets).

In 2016 alone, the RSPCA collected 413 strays.

The RSPCA strongly recommends that people take steps, like Nadia’s owner, to make sure their pet bird can be positively identified, with a microchip or closed ring.

The RSPCA advocates the use of a parrot passport, which will facilitate identification of a bird, should it ever be lost and found. The passport also contains advice for new owners to help keep their birds safe and secure.

In addition they also recommend reporting any lost, found or stolen pet birds to the National Theft Register.  

The RSPCA recommends that captive birds are housed in an aviary where possible but, if kept in a cage, it is essential that bird owners allow opportunity for free flight daily by providing time outside the cage to carry out this natural behaviour.

Anyone letting a parrot have free flight within a house should ensure windows and doors are secured first, to prevent accidental escape.

Anyone interested in rehoming a rescued bird from the RSPCA can visit rspca.org.uk/findapet.