Parrot Parrot

I noticed early on with my amazon that she prefers to step up with her left foot – she occasionally picks up the right one, but always “changes her mind,” puts it down, and picks up the left.

Now a study out of Australia confirms that parrots are indeed more likely to be left-handed. Continue reading »

Here is a bizarre story out of Columbia. Drug traffickers are training parrots to alert them to possible drug raids by law enforcement.

A parrot in Columbia was “arrested”  because they believe he tipped of a drug cartel family about a police raid.  The bird reportedly alerted the drug cartel by yelling “Run! Run! You’re going to get caught!” in Spanish.

This isn’t the first parrot that has been “arrested” in Columbia. Apparently police have taken into custody over 1,700 parrots being used by drug cartels as trained look outs. Now they are jail birds!

Watch the video on the drug cartel look-out parrots – you can actually hear the parrot speaking in Spanish – warning someone to run.

It’s always disheartening to read about abuse of parrots – but unfortunately there are animal cruelty stories in the news on a regular basis.

In Ann Arbor, Michigan, a man was arrested for abusing his parrot. He was carrying the bird in his backpack, and witnesses say he shook it so hard its feathers were falling out – the bird tried to fight back, leaving a few good bites and scratches on the abusive man. Police said the parrot was squawking loudly when they arrived on the scene.  They said the bird was limping and had a red eye and some areas where feathers were missing. The jack*&# claimed he was just training the bird. Nice attitude.  The abuser is being held in Washtenaw County Jail and faces a charge of  animal cruelty; this is  a felony charge (thank goodness some states do this!) that carries a maximum sentence of one year, a $5,000 fine or 500 hours of community service. Let’s hope he does some jail time.

The Ex-Parrot skit is one of Monty Python’s most famous:  a man returns to the pet store with the “Norwegian Blue” parrot and complains that the bird is dead.  The store owner claims he’s just resting, or his pining for the Fjords of Norway.  John Cleese demands a refund while describing the parrot’s demise in many hilarious ways, including calling him an “ex-parrot.”

It’s a twisted but hilarious skit, but now something not so nice is going on in the UK: parrots advertised on the Internet or in newspapers at too-good-to-be true prices, which die soon after arriving at their new owner’s home.

Officials are warning people not to buy any pet without first seeing it – or verifying the authenticity of the ad and those who are taking it out.  Some of these birds are being snatched out of the wild (flocks that have grown due to past escapes), and the shock is apparently too much for them.

Always consider the source before buying a parrot!

You can read more about the parrot scam here.

Via a story on Care 2 Make a Difference…

Researchers (Miyata et al) have been studying the Kea parrot of New Zealand. These beautiful birds are called the “clown of the mountains” and are known for being rather bold, playful creatures. I remember hearing stories a few years ago about how they had developed a taste for any little bit of rubber on cars. Hee hee. Skiiers would come back to their cars after a day on the mountain and find their handiwork. Continue reading »

The Brooklyn Parrots are a flock of feral birds that have loyal “followers” – you can see the website about them here

http://www.brooklynparrots.com/

Recently neighbors caught a pair trying to nab the birds using long poles and a net.

In other feral news, a quaker parrot nest in the Bronx was recently destroyed.

This sick individual, Dennis Zeglin, decided his African Grey parrot was too noisy and was interfering with the watching of NASCAR on TV. So he shot him with a pellet gun.  Because animal cruelty laws are so weak in this country, he may get off with some community service.

The 67-year-old New Jersey resident will likely get probation, and unbelievably, will not have a record if he doesn’t get into trouble during that three-year period.  He also has to do 100 hours of community service with a humane center. Would you want this guy handling animals at a humane center?  I hope they give me the job of cleaning up the poop.

His defense? According to his lawyer, he was drunk at the time.  The African Grey, “Mikey,” was 20 years old at the time of his death at the hands of his low-life owner.

Join the Banner Campaign: Make Animal Torture and Killing a Felony

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Click Here to Join the Banner Campaign to Make Animal Cruelty a Felony

The 1999 case of Chad Alvarez, a student at the University of Wisconsin who microwaved his frat brother’s parrot, gives us a chilling reminder that not everyone feels the same compassion toward animals that many pet lovers do. More disturbing, however, can be how those close to the person who has tortured and killed an animal can rationalize and even downplay the seriousness of the offense. Continue reading »