ST. PETERSBURG - Every morning about 11, William Roth goes out to his backyard aviary with seeds and pellets for his animals.
But during that routine on a recent morning, Roth discovered that a table was overturned and apotted plant was smashed. He approached the aviary and saw that the occupant who claimed the front right half of it as his territory was missing.
Groucho, Roth's prized blue-and-yellow macaw, was gone. The 60-year-old bird, who is missing a toe on his right foot, can say "Hi Groucho" and "There you go" and likes to eat cheese, which Roth fed him as a special evening treat.
Roth thinks the bird was stolen between 6:30 and 10 p.m. May 28, when he and his wife were out with friends. He said his dogs had gotten out of the yard that night, which would only have happened if the gate was left open by someone, Roth said. He guesses his dogs tried to chase the person who stole Groucho.
Groucho was the only animal taken from Roth's aviary. The structure, 44 by 33 feet by 101/2 feet high, is also the home to about 20 other birds. His other blue-and-yellow macaw, Miracle, was left untouched.
Blue-and-yellow macaws are native to the tropical rain forests of South America. Although threatened by habitat destruction and trapping for the cage-bird trade, they are not considered endangered species.
"It's kind of like a jungle in our back yard," said Roth, a fourth-grade teacher at Tyrone Elementary. "Neighbors say it sounds like a tropical paradise here."
Groucho has spent the last 4 years in Roth's aviary. The bird was given to Roth by a woman who was moving to North Carolina. She thought it would be too cold for Groucho there, so she left him to Roth. Groucho spent most of his years in a cage, which is probably why he is so grouchy, Roth jokes.
Groucho is 34 inches long and about 14 inches tall when standing. He weighs about 2 pounds and has a wing span of more than 3 feet.
Roth contacted the police and local pet stores and has put up posters in search of Groucho, but he's had no luck. He also drives around the neighborhood each morning and evening, the times of day when macaws typically make noise. Roth has heard the loud, deep screech of a macaw a few times in a particular area, but he was not sure if it was Groucho.
