Police are searching for a woman who robbed a hardware store of $400 with a parakeet on her shoulder. Sue Zaun, of the owners of Sellers Trustworthy Hardware, says the woman, who kissed the bird during the robbery, pretended to be interested in buying a cookie jar.

Drunken wood pigeons have become a nuisance for bird rescue staff in New Zealand, with about 30 having to be rescued in the last two months. Robyn Webb, of the Whangarei Native Bird Rescue Center says, the kereru birds have been eating guava berries, which have fermented and caused the birds to become intoxicated.

China's official news agency Xinhua reports a mysterious disease has killed 17 farmers in southwestern China. 41 more are been hospitalized. Preliminary investigations reveal the victims became infected after butchering sick pigs or sheep. Xinhua also says those affected have developed symptoms like high fever, fatigue, nausea and vomiting.

New research finds sea birds are responsible for the transportation of industrial and agricultural pollutants to the Arctic. A recent study shows the levels of one important class of industrial chemicals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are 30 times higher in Canadian Inuits living north of the Arctic circle, than in residents of temperate Quebec.

The demise of one of Woody Woodpecker's long-lost relatives has apparently been exaggerated. After sixty years, scientists have re-discovered the ivory-billed woodpecker in rural eastern Arkansas. Experts considered the bird extinct, but now several sightings including a video are reported in a protected forest area. It's the first confirmed sighting of the big, dramatic looking bird since 1944. It is said to be shy and prefer deep woodland areas in the southeast part of the country. Researchers in the journal Science say, "The ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis), long suspected to be extinct, has been rediscovered in the 'Big Woods' region of eastern Arkansas. Visual encounters during 2004 and 2005, and analysis of a video clip from April 2004, confirm the existence of at least one male. " Scientists also confirm hearing drumming sounds produced by the bird. Audubon Society ornithologist Frank Gill calls it a major discovery, "This is huge. Just huge. It is kind of like finding Elvis. " Scientists thought the ivory-billed woodpecker was one of six species to become extinct since the late 19th century. Experts say the bird's lifespan is about 15 years, which suggests a breeding habitat somewhere. Gill says, "There has got to be a pretty serious lineage. It's got to be more than a few. " He says "It's just the most exciting report in my lifetime. I think we will move . . . to make this a globally important bird wildlife area. "