Churchill's parrot won't squawk (Churchill's parrot during WWII found alive at 104)

Reuters ^ | 19 January 2004

[BluSky]

Quick! . . . ask the bird what Winston REALLY said and thought of Chamberlain . . .

[The Red Zone]

It is officially believed, Charlie was born in 1899,

Is it proper to say that a bird was "born"? Shouldn't that be "hatched"?

[Leatherneck_MT]

Actually I don't think he remembered so much as the sounds became sounds that he mimicked and became part of his repertoire. I'm not a parrot expert by any means, but I know we got a kick out of listening to him.

[StoneColdGOP]

Awww... That Harriet is adorable!

My own tortoise is quite a bit smaller, but just as adorable.

[wardaddy]

Is this the Onion?

[zip]

ping

[Phsstpok]

Unlike most pets, it's important to somehow provide for pet parrots in your will, because they are likely to outlive you.

I've been reluctant to get a parrot or a macaw because of this fact and the fact that they are so intelligent and really need full time companionship. I've always loved them, though.

I got to know a violet macaw at a pet shop in SF when I ran a store there. His name was Klinger (how original, and un-PC) and he was valued at roughly $10,000 (the owner didn't want to sell him). I would go to see him almost every day on my way to and from lunch and we got to be pals. He would talk to me and react when I came in the shop. I'd feed him and we'd play for awhile. The owner said that he really was pleased because he never had the time or the patience to really give Klinger the attention he deserved.

One day I went in to see Klinger and he was not there. I asked the store owner where Klinger was and he replied "oh, he's gone to birdie heaven." I was crushed and it must have been obvious on my face what I was thinking. Very quickly the store owner said "no, no! He's gone to a breeding colony in Hawaii!"

Birdie heaven indeed.

[jwfiv]

Parrot ping...squawk...

[cajungirl]

I love this story. I had a very loved parrot who died a year ago at the young age of 12 from hypercholesterolemia. He only ate nuts and seeds, refused anything else and he died. He was a wonderful talker, like a history book, he did all my childrens voices, the housekeeper's voice. He was amazing. I miss him alot. As he died, he looked at me and said "hello bird",,my first words to him. These are amaziing birds, a true gift to those who own them, they will keep someone's voice after that person is gone. I have heard such stories about them from other owners.

[DonQ]

I wonder what the bird would do if they played it a tape of Churchill's voice.

[VOA]

There's a movie in there somewhere--with John Cleese doing the parrot's voice maybe?

I'll suggest John Rhyees-Davies (sp?)...now that he'll be shunned for his honest
comments on Islam, "The Religion of Peace".

[FreedomCalls]

And Tarzan's Cheeta, the real Cheeta, from the earliest Johnny Weismueller movies through to the TV show with Ron Ely of the 60s is still alive too! He's 71.

[zeugma]

My kids absolutely love that skit, as do I. I think the line "This is an ex-parrot!" is the second most funny line ever said on TV.

The first, of course, is "With God as my witness, I thought that turkeys could fly." - Gordon Jump RIP

[flying Elvis]

A friend of mine was installing his satellite dish last year. He was outside on a ladder adjusting according to the rise and fall of the tone from his tv. (you know where this is going.lol) No matter how much he tried, he couldn't get it right. He'd think he was in the right position only to hear the tone change, signalling to him that it was in the wrong position. He finally became frustrated, gave up, and walked into the house to discover that his parrot had learned the pitch and had been giving him false signals for the last two hours.

[abigailsmybaby]

LOL! That's great!!

[abigailsmybaby]

Friends of ours own several parrots and cockatoos. They mvoed into a house in the country and promptly built an aviary in the back yard. One of their neighbors had a bell on the outside of his house to alert him if his phone rang while he wass in the back yard (I'm sure you know where this is going...:)). That poor guy wore himself out that first week after his new neighbors moved in. Of course his bell no longer serves it purpose.

[Cold Heat]

Jeez!

The bird has altziemers.(sp)

[Elliott Jackalope]

You might want to know about Lafeber's nutra-berries. My Grey used to only eat seeds, until I introduced him to Lafeber's tropical fruit nutra-berries. Now he only eats those. He's about nine years old now, and fit as a fiddle. My vet was really worried about his diet, so he ran some blood tests on him, convinced his diet was going to kill him. The tests all came back with good results, and my vet had to admit that those nutra-berries were a good diet after all.

I know it won't help your late bird, but if you should get another who proves to be a fussy eater, this info could save his life.

[flying Elvis]

I had a cockatiel once who almost got me beat up once while we were having a pool installed. I'm male, the bird could wolf whistle, and the pool installers were all male. Thank goodness the bird didn't get stage fright when I tried to show the workers that it wasn't me!

[Lockbar]

Napoleon's giant tortoise he kept as a pet when he was exiled to St. Helena was still alive in the 1970's.