# Reunion of stolen African grey parrot in UK

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/reunion-of-stolen-african-grey-parrot-in-uk
> Updated: 2026-08-24T19:18:23.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

A man from Bradford, West Yorkshire, has been reunited with his African grey parrot, Barney, nearly nine years after the bird was stolen during a home burglary in August 2017. The original theft also resulted in the death of the family’s chihuahua and the loss of various household items.

Barney, now 19 years old, was discovered on July 30 wandering in an Ikea parking lot in Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester. A veterinarian used a microchip to identify the bird, although the contact information registered to the chip was outdated because the owner, Robert Mortimer, had moved and changed his phone number.

Following the discovery, Gemma Dumbill of the Hillary Harry and Friends Wildlife Rescue center assisted in locating the family through online searches. Mr. Mortimer was eventually notified of the reunion by a local police officer.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-24: Bradford man reunites with stolen parrot after nine years

A British man has reunited with his African grey parrot, Barney, nine years after the bird was stolen during a burglary in Bradford.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bradford-man-reunites-with-stolen-parrot-after-nine-years

### 2026-08-07: UK man reunited with stolen African grey parrot after nine years

A man in Britain has reunited with his African grey parrot, Barney, who was stolen during a burglary in 2017 and rediscovered nine years later in a Manchester parking lot.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uk-man-reunited-with-stolen-african-grey-parrot-after-nine-years

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Cite as: Reunion of stolen African grey parrot in UK. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/reunion-of-stolen-african-grey-parrot-in-uk