Yellowknife (Aug 29/03) - Bob Bailey thought the little bird in his backyard carousing with the more familiar sparrows and chickadees was a little strange.

What he didn't realize at the time was that not only was the tiny tweetie a foreigner to these parts, it wasn't even a native to this continent.

The bird, as it turned out, was a zebra finch, a common species out of Australia, and a popular choice for a pet among bird lovers.

"He was with a flock of sparrows," says Bailey. "They didn't bother him or anything. It was as if he belonged there."

Bailey and his wife first discovered the unusual avian more than two weeks ago, feeding from one of two bird feeders they keep in their backyard.

With its red beak, and orange legs and cheeks, they knew something was more feral than boreal about the bird.

After contacting the local pet store and doing a little online research they discovered the bird's true origins. They learned that the finch was a consummate imitator who likes to borrow the songs of other birds.

"He was singing just like a chickadee," says Bailey.

Because the bird is small -- less than three inches long -- it was easily able to fit its body into the bird feeder, where Bailey's wife managed to capture it by placing a cheese cloth over the opening.

Now they would just like someone to step forward and claim it, says Bailey, figuring it must've escaped from its owner's cage.

Posters and ads in the newspaper have netted a couple of calls but none matched.

"Someone had a lost finch but it wasn't the same kind," says Bailey.

Wendy Eggenberger, who oversees the pet department at J.J. Hobbies, says she doesn't know of any other pet finches that have gone missing but she has heard stories about birds.

As of last Friday, the store had four zebra finches in stock, retailing for $24.99 each.

"There's a lot of budgies that have been found," she says. "Even a cockatiel and a cockatoo."

As for Bailey's captured finch, he figures the little guy probably could've survived the whole summer in Yellowknife but has strong reservations about the winter.

"He'll be alright while the weather is warm but as soon as it turns cold he'd be toast," says Bailey.