Owner Found After Cockatiel Finds Itself In Santa Barbara County Jail

SANTA BARBARA (CBSLA) — A jail bird needed to be bailed out finding itself behind bars in Santa Barbara.

A gray, white and yellow cockatiel somehow got inside a fenced secure area at the Santa Barbara County Jail and staff are hoping to find its owner.

Jail officials say the bird is likely an escapee that found itself hungry and out of place at the county jail. The jail's staff have fostered the bird, giving it food and shelter, but released photos of the friendly jail bird Monday in an effort to reunite it with its owner.

The jail bird's name turned out to be Sammy, who was claimed Thursday by his owner, 9-year-old Mohammad and his family. The family had seen local news coverage of the bird.