Charlie the parrot returns to Lexington home. ‘I got my bird back’

Charlie, the African Grey parrot that went missing from her Lexington home Aug. 7, was back home Tuesday.

Chuk Trisko, who recently moved from Washington to Lexington, and his parrot, Charlie, were inseparable for the last 20 years.

But on Aug. 7, when the two were outside Trisko’s apartment at The Lafayette off Mason Headley Road in Lexington, Charlie, a female flew into the trees, up in the air, and went missing, Trisko said.

Trisko had been looking for her ever since. All weekend long, he waited with no word.

Then, on Tuesday afternoon, another resident at The Lafayette came into the office with some news, said Malika Sanders, business office manager at The Lafayette.

“One of the residents who hangs out front toward the end of the building noticed the parrot and came in immediately and told us the parrot was out front,” Sanders said.

“That’s when our executive director went down to confirm,” she said. “I immediately called Mr. Trisko and told him that his bird was located. He came on down and then he came back in with his lovely bird.”

“I just got my bird back,” Trisco told the Herald-Leader. “She was on the ground out front. She must have flown back. She got right on my finger. I don’t know where she’s been.”

This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM.