£2k worth of valuable birds stolen from Tadley garden

Nigel Darley, aged 64, of New Road, Tadley, who has bred birds as a hobby since he was 10 years old, said that he and his family were at home at the time of the burglary, which happened at some time between 11pm on Thursday, January 17 and 8.20am the following morning.
Around 40 birds were taken from his garden aviary including Mexican house finches, green singing finches, Java sparrows, Bengalese finches, diamond doves, grass finches, silverbill finches, painted finches, and wax bills.
An egg incubator, a catching net and three cages were also taken in the raid, after burglars tampered with security lights, broke into sheds and used stored tools to cut through a 10ft hedge, wire fence and padlocks.
Mr Darley, who was not insured for his losses, said that there was a thriving market in tropical species and the theft of birds, which can fetch up to about £200 to £300 a pair here because of import restrictions, was widespread.
“I’m the secretary of Basingstoke and District Cage Bird Society – we hear about it all the time,” he said.
Most of the stolen birds were bred from the egg, and many of those left were traumatised by the incident, he said. One of his hens, for instance, had left the eggs that she had laid in a nestbox because her mate was no longer there.
Mr Darley, who has now stepped up security at the site, also had concerns over the welfare of the birds that may have escaped in the raid and were flying around the countryside.
“The weather won’t kill them, but lack of food will – and it’s not the sort of food they can pick up on a bird table,” he said.
One of the birds that flew off in the raid, a Java sparrow, has since been returned by a resident in nearby Ramsdell Close, who said that he found it sitting in the snow on his doorstep.
Pc Jindy Sokhi of Tadley police, said that the burglars had been careful to leave behind birds carrying identification rings.
Anyone with information about the theft should contact Pc Soki on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.