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Tucsonan Sharon Loper is heartbroken about the loss of two very good friends: the exotic birds that were stolen from her house on Friday.

The birds, along with much of her jewelry, were gone when Loper, 59, came home from work at about 5 p.m., she said.

"They are like my kids," she said. "They mean a lot to me."

One of the birds is a 13-year-old Congo African grey male with a red tail, whose name is Sequoia. The other one is Baby, a blue and gold macaw.

Sequoia is a "quite charming" bird who says his name, whistles Ludwig van Bee-thoven's "Fur Elise" and mutters phrases such as "bye bye" and "bubbles," Loper said.

"He's been my friend for 13 years. He is the bird of my heart," she said.

Baby is 20 years old, is not very friendly, sometimes bites, and has a missing wing, Loper said.

Seven other exotic birds were in the same room, and Loper said it was strange that the thieves took only her two favorites.

While Sequoia was moving around freely, Baby was in a cage, and it would have taken a lot of effort to force her out, Loper said.

A neighbor told responding officers that she heard the birds when she came home briefly around 1 p.m. They didn't sound upset, but she normally never hears them, the neighbor told officers, a Tucson Police Department report says.

The thieves took only certain parts of Loper's jewelry collection, including several Stars of David, while leaving other valuables behind, she said.

After a frenzied weekend, during which Loper called dozens of people and posted notes on the Internet, she said she can only wait and hope for the best.

"At this point in time, all there is left is prayers," she said.

Anyone with information about the birds is asked to call Loper at 360-1263. The birds can be dropped off at Valley Animal Hospital, 4984 E. 22nd St., or OK Feed and Supply, 3701 E. Fort Lowell Road. A reward is offered to those who bring the birds back.