Forty-five parrots worth more than $1,000 each were snatched from a Long Island, N.Y., pet shop on Tuesday.

The thief or thieves broke a back window of the Parrots of the World shop between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. Tuesday, stealing $58,000 worth of parrots, Nassau County police said, adding that they did not know how the bird snatchers got away.

Store owner Marc Morrone said the thief unhooked the cages and carried them out the broken window. He said whoever took the birds knew where the surveillance cameras were.

One of Morrone's favourite pets was among the pilfered parrots.

"I was cutting up papayas for him, and I went to feed him," he said. "And the cage was empty."

With files from the Associated Press