Am I on Candid Cockatiel Camera?

There was no sign of the bird. Yet, there it was, an empty bird cage at the back of the Mills Street driveway. And, the sign: 'Cocketeil in Tree.'

Referring to a "Cockatiel," a popular housebird, there didn't seem to be any such bird up in the tree with the sign. Hopefully, the bird was found safe. Or, was it a trick, an experiment to see how many people would look up, and keep looking, trying to find a bird that didn't exist? 

Either way, we hope no birds were harmed in the making of this experiment.