Dublin Airport has launched a public appeal to track down the owner of a stray parrot discovered on its grounds on Easter Sunday, marking the third unexpected avian visitor the airport has handled in less than a decade.
The bright-feathered bird was first spotted perched on a public rubbish bin near the airport’s Terminal 1, before airport police were alerted to the unusual sighting. Responding officers used gentle tactics and food to coax the parrot into their care, and the animal quickly warmed to its rescuers, even comfortably perching on the officers’ hands and shoulders, the airport authority explained in an official statement.
After being safely secured, the parrot was transferred to a nearby airport patrol van, where it settled into the warm interior as officers finished their scheduled patrol rounds. It was then brought back to the airport police station, where staff prepared a cozy temporary enclosure using an existing dog crate and brush handle, and provided the bird with fresh fruit, clean water and engaging toys to keep it comfortable during its unexpected stay. The airport confirmed the parrot received consistent, high-quality care overnight while teams worked to trace its owner.
So far, airport management has notified Ireland’s national police service An Garda Síochána, a local pet retailer and a nearby animal sanctuary to help connect the parrot with its rightful caretaker. Details of the stray bird have also been widely shared across the airport’s social media channels to broaden the search. While the outreach effort has already drawn dozens of public enquiries, including multiple submissions of leg ring identification numbers, none of the submitted details have matched the markings on the found parrot to date.
Efforts to reconnect the parrot with its owner remain ongoing, and the airport says it is committed to seeing the operation through to a successful outcome. “We look forward to helping this unexpected visitor get safely home,” the statement added.
This is far from the first time an unplanned parrot has turned up at Dublin Airport. In 2019, an African grey parrot named Hugo made headlines after she was spotted “taxiing for takeoff” on the airport’s main runway by a firefighter conducting a routine safety check. That stray parrot was ultimately successfully reunited with her owner. Most recently, in August 2025, the airport welcomed another unbooked chatty parrot that turned up on its grounds. The facility has also had lighthearted fun with parrot-related notoriety: after Irish international striker Troy Parrott scored a memorable hat-trick against Portugal, the airport’s social media team jokingly suggested changing its name to “Troy Parrott Airport”, a gag they have revived in posts following more recent Irish national team matches.