Parakeets at Dave's Soda and Pet City in Agawam, Mass. A driver made off with some 50 parakeets from the store's Springfield location last weekend. (Photo by Bob Stern)

SPRINGFIELD — Call it the case of the purloined parakeets.

Police are seeking the public's help in solving Sunday night's theft of some 50 parakeets from Dave's Soda and Pet City.

A man, driving a small blue imported car, parked near the store shortly before 10 p.m., smashed a window and ran in and out several times loading cages of parakeets into his car.

A witness told an investigating officer that he saw birds "everywhere in his car," Police Sgt. John M. Delaney said.

The stolen birds have a total value of nearly $1,100, police said.

David Ratner, owner of Dave's Soda and Pet City, said he believes the thief smashed the storefront windows and grabbed two cages that held about 25 parakeets each. Nothing else was taken, he said.

Ratner said if the birds are not protected from the cool weather, they could die. He said a quick temperature drop to below 60 degrees may be fatal.

A man carrying a bird cage was later spotted in the city's North End, Springfield Police Department spokeswoman Marcia L. Brown said.

"We are on it," Brown said, adding the suspect and birds have since disappeared since first being seen.

(George Graham is a staff writer for The Republican of Springfield, Mass. He can be contacted at ggraham(at)repub.com. Staff writer Suzanne McLaughlin contributed.)