Sri Lankans Urged to Search for President's Missing Macaws

A pair of macaws sit inside an aviary at the President's House in Colombo

Four macaws belonging to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse have escaped his tightly-guarded official residence in Colombo, his office said Wednesday as it appealed for help to trace the colorful long-tailed birds.

"The president is very fond of these birds," an official in his office told Agence France Presse, adding that he also cared for other species at the colonial-era President's House in the capital Colombo.

The macaws went missing from their aviary during the traditional New Year holidays this week. Rajapakse's office released photos of three of them on Wednesday and appealed for help to find them.

Macaws -- a species of parrot -- are not indigenous to Sri Lanka, but several pet stores import them from South America.