Chidham Parrot Hunt	Tales that a parrot had been spotted not far from 'The Old House at Home' could have been dismissed as confirmation that a couple of pints does wonders for the eyesight and imagination. However,your intrepid reporter is always up to the challenge, especially when there's a pub involved. In fact the parrot was a couple of doors away, so not too difficult to find, and cawing away in a manner that alerted not just your reporter, but pretty well everyone else within half a mile to his presence. His or her? Haven't a clue, but we will try to find out. And what sort of parrot is it? Come on you parrot fanciers, put us out of our misery! Apparently it has been around for some time - presumably an escapee. If you have lost your parrot - get in touch.

Chidham Parrot Hunt - the story so far Possible identification - is it a Burrowing Parrot - more properly a Patagonian Conure -see opposite - a native of Patagonia, South America, a rare and possibly valuable bird?
The Patagonian conure , Cyanoliseus patagonus, is a large conure found in the Patagonia region of south-central Argentina and Chile. Drab on the top, brightly coloured underneath, the patagonian conure has exploded in popularity since the 1990s, leading to an increase in illegal importation which threatens the wild populations. It is also known as the "burrowing parrot," due to its habit of nesting in holes in the ground. Unsurprisingly, Patagonians in captivity are great chewers, and have been known to munch through furniture and even walls. Conures have a harsh and shrill screech, the Patagonian is reported to have the loudest call of all conures. Sexing : Reliable only via DNA or endoscopy. (OK, we will give that a miss) Love to bathe and will use their water bowl if nothing else is available. Also enjoy showers. Life Span : Up to 35 years
Organisations contacted so far	Response
Sussex ornithology trust	The closest match I can find is the Burrowing Parrot, a scarce native of Argentina and Chile.  Attached is a photo I found on the internet though there are plenty more if you use one of the search engines.  Would be interested to hear whether you agree with my identification having looked at the photo. I suspect Burrowing Parrots are quite valuable given their scarcity in S America but I'm not sure who you should contact to arrange it's recapture.  As they live in Patagonia your bird is probably capable of surviving our winter though there is a chance it could fall prey to a passing Sparrowhawk.
Sussex Police	Thank you for your email to Sussex Police There is a Parrot Line Advisory line on 01754 820107 They are a 24 hour advice line and hopefully they can help. I have looked through our lost and found pages and can see nothing reported. I do hope this if of some help.
The Parrot Line (Yes, I phoned the Parrot line)	The parrot looks like a Patagonian Conure.
RSPB	Escaped birds are not easy to recapture although the UK climate does not offer any great difficulties for a bird that knows how to forage. The first step would probably to identify whether the bird has been reported missing (not always the case) and the local police on a non-emergency number would be a good start. Vets and local pet stores are another potential place where the bird could have been reported.
RSPCA	Please call out 24hr cruelty and advice line on 0870 5555 999 to provide details for our lost and found register. They will be able to find out if someone has reported losing their bird and hopefully reunite it with it's owner.
Marwell Zoo	This is not a species we keep at Marwell and unfortunately can not offer a home. If the bird is caught at some stage the RSPCA or another animal rescue group should be able to assist.
The Parrot Society	No response yet