Thieves Disguised As Family Steal Rare Birds From Oregon Pet Stores

A rare cockatoo valued at $8,500 is the latest victim in a series of bird thefts from stores in the Portland area.

A man and woman, sometimes with a young boy and baby, are suspected in all the cases.

The man and woman who made off with the Leadbetter cockatoo from Bird Gardens on Friday match the description of the people who struck at two Portland stores in recent weeks.

In the Beaverton case, a man and woman in their 30s or 40s with a young boy, 4 to 6 years old, and a baby entered the store about noon. While a worker was distracted, the cockatoo disappeared.

The workers believe the couple put the baby in the seat of their blue van, then went back in the store and wrapped the bird in the baby blanket, said Beaverton Police Sgt. Chris Gibson.

“We’re kind of bonded with our birds. They’re our babies,” said Liz Brandenburg, who works at Bird Gardens. “We like to make sure they go to good families.”

Donna Kelley of Sugar’s Bird Shack in Portland said a couple matching the description of those given in Beaverton had bought $450 worth of birds and bird supplies on a Friday four weeks ago.

The next night, her business was burglarized and two African gray congos, a German roller canary and a Goffin cockatoo, valued at about $3,000, were stolen. Computer equipment also was stolen. The next week, she found out the check had been stolen.