A MISSING cockatiel has been reunited with its owner after chirping its own name down the phone from the home of its rescuer.

The woman who found two-year-old Smokey needed to be sure she was speaking to the rightful owners.

That was confirmed when she passed the phone to the bird, and it immediately squawked its name.

Smokey went missing over the weekend after flying out of the door of Mr David Edwards’ home in Bickerton Drive, Gwersyllt, near Wrexham.

His two-day adventure in the wild came to an end two miles away in Bellevue Park, Wrexham, when he perched on accountant Sue Hill’s shoulder.

She took him in and phoned the RSPCA which put her in touch with Mr Edwards who had reported his cockatiel missing.

Now, grandfather-of-three, David and his grandson have finally been reunited with their feathered friend.

Sue said: “I heard little chirping sounds that weren’t typical of the bird noises you usually hear in a park. When I looked up I saw a cockatiel perched on a branch and he flew down and landed on my shoulder.

“He was very friendly and just stayed there as I continued walking. I was with my mum who has a mobility scooter and when we got into the car I wrapped him in a scarf and put him in the scooter basket until I got home. My friend gave me a cage to keep him in for the night and he was just chirping away.

“Because it was a Sunday, there was not much I could do to find his owners so first thing on Monday morning I rang around some local vets and put up posters, when one of the vets told me a man had reported a missing cockatiel.

“I was given a phone number for the man, Mr Edwards, but I wanted to be sure he was the actual owner.

“I called and spoke to his wife who told me her pet was called Smokey and asked me to put him on the phone.

“As soon as he heard her voice, he stopped chirping and began saying ‘Smokey,’ it was very funny.

“That was the first time the bird had spoken and it was then I was sure that he belonged to them.”

After a “heartbreaking” weekend, Mr Edwards told the Daily Post that he was “over the moon” to have Smokey back.

He said: “Smokey belongs to my 16-year-old grandson but lives here with us because we have two other birds.

“They all have free rein over the house but I hadn’t realised Smokey was upstairs when he flew past me and out of the door.

“We put up posters, rang the RSPCA and all the local vets.

“I couldn’t believe it when Sue contacted us to tell us she had found him, we were delighted.

“He has his own character and says phrases such as ‘Hello Smokey,’ ‘Smokey-Cokey’ and ‘What’s that?’”