An adventurous young budgie in Iqaluit is safely back home after deciding to spread his wings on Christmas Day and spending a week outdoors in Arctic temperatures.
The budgie โ named Blue โ survived overnight lows close to โ30 C, according to data from Environment and Climate Change Canada.
A woman in Iqaluitโs Tundra Ridge neighbourhood discovered the bird on New Yearโs Day while taking her dog out for a walk.
โThere was this chirping noise in my back yard, and I did a double take,โ Cathy Mcgee said.
โI couldnโt believe it.โ
Blue had snuck out the door of his home when his family left to go to the Quickstop convenience store, his owner, Leah Novalinga, told CBC.
Novalingaโs family searched all over town for their beloved pet, playing YouTube videos of his favourite budgie celebrity, Boba, in hopes of getting his attention.
They were heartbroken when they returned home empty-handed, Novalinga said.
โI thought I would never see him again,โ she said.
โI really thought he was eaten by a raven.โ
As it happened, Mcgee had met Novalinga and her family during their search for the bird, so she was aware the budgie was at large, she said.
After spotting Blue on her fence, Mcgee approached him slowly and was able to capture him without a struggle.
She then drove him over to Novalingaโs house.
โWe were eating turkey dinner for my birthday, and I wasnโt expecting anybody else,โ Novalinga said of the moment she heard the knock at her door.
โMy friend went to go open the door for me, and before she opened the door, I said, โMaybe itโs Blueโ โ and it was Blue.โ
She immediately showered the bird in kisses, she said.
She also gave him food and tried to warm him up.
โHe seemed really hungry,โ she said. โHe got really smaller. โฆ Itโs so good to have him home again.โ
