The owner of two stolen parrots is hoping that the chatty birds will alert gardaí to their whereabouts.
A very rare Moluccan cockatoo, "Chukie", and an African grey parrot, "Max", were stolen from the Collon Animal Sanctuary in Co Louth on Saturday night.
Sanctuary owner Lynne Archer said she believed the birds had been deliberately targeted by thieves as they were valuable.
Chukie, a white and orange cockatoo, is an endangered species and is worth about €4,000, while Max is worth about €1,000.
However, she said, the thieves may have got more than they bargained for as Chukie is an extremely talkative and noisy bird.
"He will sing. He will dance. He is such an entertaining bird here in the sanctuary where he gets plenty of attention. He has his own fan club.
"But if people stole him to keep as a pet in a cage then it won't work as it he is so noisy and destructive. Being left in a cage would not suit him at all and they will realise that very quickly."
She said she hoped his endless chattering would alert neighbours or the gardaí to the birds' whereabouts.
Max, who has a white face and red tail, is a younger bird and has just begun to dabble in conversation, Ms Archer said. Both knew their names and would answer to them if called, she said.
She appealed to anyone with information to contact the sanctuary (041 9826613) or any Garda station.
