FEATHERS are being ruffled in a usually quiet East Riding village, with residents facing early morning wake-up calls from a stray cockatoo.
Villagers in North Newbald are at the end of their tether as the creature – named locally as Nigel after the villainous bird in the children's film Rio – enjoys a good squawk as the sun comes up.
They hope Mail readers will help them track down the owner, so they can return to the peace and quiet of the countryside.
Emma Hunter, one of the residents in a flutter, said: "I first heard him about two weeks ago when I was at home. He is quite loud.
"At first I wondered what it was but then someone had put some photographs up on Facebook of a white cockatoo in the village and I realised it was him.
"I have not seen him personally, but I know other people who have.
"Where I live, there are a lot of trees, so he tends to hide in there but I can definitely hear him.
"We call him 'the elusive cockatoo.'"
Nigel, who has been likened in size to a barn owl, is also creating quite a stir among the children of North Newbald.
Emma said: "My daughter is keeping a lookout for him. In fact all the children want to find him.
"A number of them have spotted him on the rooftops and they get really excited whenever they see him."
"He is quite big. We have wondered how someone could not notice he had gone missing."
Residents have contacted the RSPCA, but it seems there is not a lot that can be done until Nigel is caught.
Emma said: "They have recommended that we put food down for him.
"Everyone is on the lookout. Usually, when he gets spotted, it is on Facebook within ten minutes.
"We hope that Nigel's owner is reading this and comes forward, but at the end of the day we don't know how far he has travelled from."
One resident said yesterday: "I heard him this morning.
"He has been here over a week now and we are getting a bit concerned that someone might have dumped him and he is looking for a new home, or if it is lost and needs caring for."
Another resident said: "Nigel is white, very, very big and very loud.
"He makes his presence felt around tea-time and around 6am.
"It is fair to say a few feathers are being ruffled with Nigel's croaking at this time in the day.
"But really we are concerned that Nigel is in distress and we just want to check he is okay."
Are you Nigel's owner? If so, call our newsdesk on 01482 315194.
