Just say, Hi, Hello or Birdie to a pet parrot. The bird will repeat the words. Parrots are one of the best pet birds of entertainment.
An African Grey Parrot named, Prudle had a vocabulary of about 1000 human words. Another pet parrot, Sparkia Williams could speak over 500 words and even recite short nursery rhymes. The BBC recorded and preserved its voice in the archives.
Young or old, the human voice could be easily mimicked by the parrots. One view holds that the parrots merely mimic and are incapable of relating words to objects. But Alex, an African Grey Parrot, when sprinkled with water, said, “Shower” and when asked to pick color, picked up a colored object
African Grey Parrots live for 50 years and more, if properly fed and taken care of. These birds are one of the most sought after pets. According to Royal Society for the protection of Birds, the European Union is the world’s largest importer of wild-caught parrots. The US alone buys 250,000 parrots every year.
Demand for parrots is always on the rise with more families all over the world selecting parrot pets. There are special agencies which charge fee to educate families in the raising of pet parrots. Some offer counseling too and correct the parrots if they behave badly. In the pet market parrots are more expensive than dogs or cats.
Extinction threat is more serious to parrots than any other bird family. Habitat destruction and trapping for pet trade have taken a heavy toll on these birds globally. The Kakapo Parrot lives in the mountain islands off the coast of New Zealand. It is a heavy bird weighing as many as 8 pounds and cannot fly. The bird is active only during nights feeding on buds, flowers and seeds. There are only 50 of these birds alive and is one of the most endangered bird species in the world.
Very interesting and exciting facts about parrots fill the books on bird life. Ornithologists have recorded several features of intrigue relating to parrots. The feathers of parrots have a yellow pigment that glows under ultraviolet light. This is unique to parrots and scientists have not been able to understand its significance.
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