A Kirkcaldy family have been left distraught after their beloved pet cockatiel took flight from their home on Thursday.
The brightly coloured bird escaped from a house on Oswald Road in the Gallatown area of the town at around 3.15pm.
Despite frantic efforts to return the bird to safety, he is still at large.
Charlene Devaney, who bought the bird as a present for her 11-year-old daughter’s birthday, now fears for Benny’s safety.
Family ‘heartbroken’ at bird’s disappearance
She said: “We are all heartbroken. Benny is a lovely pet and at only seven months old is still very young.
“The kids are distraught. He was allowed out of his cage at home but flew through the front door as the children came home from school.
“Our dog barked and it must have frightened him and he got through a gap as we were trying to shut the door.”
Initially, Benny was seen perched on a tree close to the family’s home.
However attempts to attract him down were unsuccessful and he eventually flew away.
Charlene has now issued an appeal for anyone who sees Benny to get in touch as concerns grow for his welfare.
Benny has distinctive plumage
She said: “He’s very distinctive with bright yellow plumage and the obvious yellow head feathers.
“In addition, there is a red spot of colour on the head which we hope will really catch people’s eye if he’s in someone’s garden.
“Benny also has a noticeable blue ring on his leg which will further help people to identify it’s him. He also likes to sing.
“We did have a couple of suspected sightings in Kinglassie on Thursday evening so we went over there to see if we could find him.
“But we had no luck and it’s since been reported to us that the sighting was that of a missing budgie.”
Anyone who thinks they may have spotted the missing cockatiel is being urged to contact Charlene via her Facebook page.