Slick as a parrot
AND to prove there’s no hard feelings and show just how highly your Daily Star holds these noble birds in our pecking order, NADINE LINGE brings you 10 bird-brained facts you never knew about these pretty clever pollys.
Parrots have been kept as pets for 3,000 years – first by the ancient Egyptians and then by the Indians and Chinese. They were brought to Europe in 300BC and often kept by the upper classes with owners including Henry VIII and Queen Victoria. They can famously copy sounds – in the wild they are known to imitate the calls of other members of their flock to communicate about food and danger. Parrots were positioned on the Eiffel Tower during World War One to warn against enemy aircraft. But it went wrong when it emerged they could not tell German planes from the Allies’ aircraft.
There is still a mystery over whether Winston Churchill owned a parrot. The owner of a blue-and-yellow macaw called Charlie claims he was the property of the PM during WWII and Churchill taught him to shout anti-Nazi slogans. Churchill’s estate insists there is no record of such a parrot. Parrots are the only birds that can eat with their feet. They have four toes on each foot, two facing forward and two facing
backward. That means they can scoop up food to their mouths.
The birds have also been seen preferring one foot over the other. So just like humans are left or right-handed, parrots can be left or right-footed.
In 2017, a woman from Michigan was found guilty of shooting her husband five times – witnessed by their parrot Bud. Glenna Durham shot her hubby Martin before
turning the gun on herself. The parrot later repeated the words: “Don’t shoot!” in the victim’s voice. African grey Alex was the subject of 30 years of research by animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg. He was said to have the intelligence of a human fiveyear-old and could recognise 50 different objects. His last words to Irene before he died were: “You be good, see you tomorrow, I love you.”
A blue parakeet called Puck from California holds the record for his speaking skills – notching up 1,728 words. Death metal band Hatebeak is the only group in the world to have a parrot as a singer. Waldo the grey has provided vocals on albums including The Thing That Should Not Beak and Bird Seeds Of Vengeance.