AVONDALE — A new Avondale resident seems to think he's cock of the walk.
The thing of it is, he is.
For about a week now, people have been catching sight of a rooster "struttin'" around the immediate vicinity of SmallBar, 2956 N. Albany Ave.
The "cocky little fellar," as one eyewitness called him, stands about a foot-and-a-half tall and doesn't seem to be aggressive, according to those who've seen him.
"No aggressive reports," said SmallBar manager and bartender Parker Kincaid, who snapped a picture of the rooster Wednesday afternoon. "Super chill rooster."
The bar's chef, Dominic Puleo, said no one seems to have any idea where it might have come from.
"Who knows how far it's traveled?" he said, adding, "One of our regulars has chickens, but he never mentioned a rooster."
The reported sightings appear to have begun on Sunday, when north suburban Mundelein resident Mike Mondelli said he saw the little guy near George Street and Albany Avenue, about a block south of Smallbar.
A friend of his lives in the neighborhood, and he was walking toward the Logan Square Blue Line stop about 11 a.m. when he caught sight of the bird.
"He looked very well taken care of — healthy weight, and great colors," Mondelli said. "I grew up in rural Wisconsin and was always on a farm working or playing with friends. I would recognize if the animal looked unhealthy or abused."
A call to Animal Care and Control was not immediately returned Thursday afternoon, and a Shakespeare District police officer said he hadn't heard any reports of a rooster on the loose.
So, for the time being, it appears rooster will be free to keep doing what it has been doing.
"Struttin'," as Puleo described it. "Kind of just doing its thing."
