It was an ordinary day. Reading a story in my "Monthly Gazette" titled "Bird of the Month" which featured the parrot. The parrot is a beautiful, intelligent bird that is known for it's colorful features. There are over 350 different species of parrots that can be found primarily in tropical and subtropical climates. Parrots have strong curved beaks, lovely plumage and impressive smarts. Some parrots even have figured out how to get into garbage cans to get food while others can imitate human speech. One famous parrot, aka "Puck", can say well over 1,700 words. Parrots also have what are known as zygodactyl feet...instead of having three toes in front and one in the back like most other birds they have two toes in the front and two toes in the back. This adaptation gives parrots an advantage when it comes to grip. Many parrots mate for life, often with both the male and female caring for their offspring. Parrots live long lives, some living into their 80s. They are also omnivores that primarily eat seeds, nuts, fruit and insects. Parrots are a broad order of more than 350 birds. Macaws, Amazons, lorikeets, lovebirds, cockatoos and many others are all considered parrots.
Many parrots are kept as pets, especially macaws, Amazon parrots, cockatiels, parakeets and cockatoos. These birds have been poplar companions throughout history because they are intelligent, charismatic, colorful and musical. Some birds can imitate many nonavian sounds, including human speech. The male African gray parrot is the most accomplished user of human speech in the animal world; this rain forest-dweller is an uncanny mimic. At present, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species bans the sale of any wild-caught species, yet the parrot's popularity continues to drive illegal trade. Some parrot species are highly endangered. In other cases, once tame birds have reproduced in the wild and established thriving feral populations in foreign ecosystems. The monk (green) parakeet, for example, now lives in several U.S. states. I can remember having a parakeet as a pet when I was a young boy. Often let him out of his cage so he could fly around the house. He always knew how to get back in his cage when it was time to eat. Mom made me stop leaving his cage open when she found her African violets and several other flowers missing many of their leaves. I still remember that the parakeets that I had as pets very seldom made any sounds even though I had read that some parrots are accomplished users of human speech. My wife and I never offered to allow our children to have parakeets as pets in our house. Just didn't care to have the mess they can make. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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