The owners of a Mineola pet store are pleading for the return of a rare and valuable bird that was stolen from their shop over the weekend. 

Surveillance video from inside "For Birds Only" appears to show a man and two women pretending to check out a number of birds inside the store. 

As soon as an employee leaves them alone, the man then places a cockatoo into a woman's bag, and they calmly walk out of the store. 

Store owner Ida Ferreira says the rare bird is worth $1,800. She says she is very concerned for the 12-week-old bird's well-being since it needs to be fed special formula three times a day. 

"I hope somebody feeds him because it's life and death," she told News 12. 

Ferreira says she hopes the bandits will return the bird before anything happens to it.

Police say they are investigating the theft. A $2,500 reward is being offered for the bird's return or for information leading to an arrest.