Exotic Birds, Woman He Met Gone in A.M.

The “Birdman of Newport Beach” reported to police that $13,000 worth of exotic parrots were stolen from his apartment Wednesday morning.

Ski Meinschein, who has worked with the birds at Newport Pier for 13 years, told police that four of his parrots were taken as he slept.

Police said Meinschein and a woman he had met on the pier Tuesday afternoon had gone to his apartment. When he woke up at 2 a.m., she and the parrots were gone, he said.

One of the exotic birds is a 10-year-old scarlet macaw that is on the endangered list, Meinschein said.

He is offering a $1,000 reward for any information leading to the recovery of the birds.