Criminals Stole 2 Parrots from a Concord Pet Store. Now, We Found Out What Happened Next.

CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – The harrowing tale of a Concord “bird-napping” has finally concluded.

Last September a thief broke a side window at Feathered Follies, a specialty bird shop on Clayton Road in Concord, and fled with two prized parrots:

• “Tofu,” an umbrella cockatoo valued at roughly $2,500.
• “Plato,” a 12-inch African red-belly parrot being boarded for a longtime customer

Security video showed the suspect heading straight for the birds’ room, bypassing merchandise and cash drawers.

First bird recovered in Los Angeles

Concord detectives tracked a sales lead to Southern California last fall. Tofu was located in Los Angeles and returned within six weeks; one suspect was arrested in San Jose on possession-of-stolen-property charges.

Final breakthrough comes eight months later

Plato remained missing until a new tip sent investigators to a residence in Hayward on May 22. Officers recovered the parrot in good health and reunited him with his original owner of 28 years the next day.

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Injured but recovering

Veterinarians said Plato was slightly underweight but showed no lasting harm. The cockatoo and parrot are now quarantining together at Feathered Follies while police continue to trace how the birds changed hands.

Why exotic birds are targets

Umbrella cockatoos and African red-belly parrots can fetch $2,000–$4,000 on the gray market. Their docile temperaments also make them easy for thieves to handle.

These birds are like young children, though, in terms of their verbal and mental abilities. Stealing them is thus an especially despicable alleged crime.