Kathie Touin

Kathie writes

"Parrots are wonderful, beautiful and intelligent creatures. When I lived in the United States I was the proud 'parront' of four parrots.

"My first bird was a wonderful little normal grey cockatiel, named Charlie. My second was a Pacific parrotlet that I called Jiminie, due to his diminutive size and that he resembled a bug when he flew (badly, it must be said). Sadly Jiminie died a few years ago, at only four years of age. My next bird was a remarkable African Grey called Jeti, and the fourth was a rescue bird, a cantankerous yellow-fronted Amazon named Rocky. Rocky left with the ex-boyfriend, whom he much preferred anyway.

"Meanwhile I had developed a potentially life-threatening allergy to birds - sounds fun, doesn't it? - and doctors had been threatening me for several years that if I didn't get rid of my birds I would become seriously ill. I couldn't bear to part with Charlie and Jeti who were my best friends.

"But when I decided to get married and move to London, I finally did what I'd put off for so long - reluctantly part from them and find them new homes. Here are some pictures of my Feathered Wonders...

"I'll never forget how amazing they were, and what good friends. Those of you with parrots will understand.

"If you are considering getting a parrot as a pet, think long and hard before leaping in. Studies have shown that parrots have the intelligence of a five-year-old child, but the emotional development of a three-year-old. Large parrots can live up to 80 years. Their clever minds need to be occupied and if you don't keep them entertained they will find more destructive ways to keep themselves stimulated. They need specialised veterinary care, including annual checks, which can be expensive.

"Carefully consider if you want to have a pet who is easily bored and prone to tantrums, but will likely outlive you. Parrots' calls can be heard for miles (not great in an apartment), they are incredibly messy and they will eat your furniture if they get the chance. A parrot is not a dog or cat - they are essentially wild creatures we have introduced into our homes. We might do well to consider if this is the optimum living experience for these beautiful, intelligent birds."

The Alex Foundation

Dr Irene Pepperberg is a brilliant woman behind stunning work with African Grey Parrots. For more than 20 years she has studied their language acquisition abilities with astonishing results. Her work has shown they have an intelligence equal to that of primates and dolphins, and comparable to kindergarten age children.

Sadly, Alex, the African Grey parrot who was main the subject of Dr Irene Pepperberg's work, died suddenly at the age of 31 on 6 September 2007.

According to the press release on The Alex Foundation's website: "Dr. Pepperberg's pioneering research resulted in Alex learning elements of English speech to identify 50 different objects, seven colours, five shapes, quantities up to and including six and a zero-like concept. He used phrases such as 'I want X' and 'Wanna go Y', where X and Y were appropriate object and location labels. He acquired concepts of categories, bigger and smaller, same-different, and absence. Alex combined his labels to identify, request, refuse, and categorise more than 100 different items demonstrating a level and scope of cognitive abilities never expected in an avian species. Pepperberg says that Alex showed the emotional equivalent of a two-year-old child and intellectual equivalent of a five-year-old. Her research with Alex shattered the generally held notion that parrots are only capable of mindless vocal mimicry."

Alex's remarkable abilities raised awareness of just how intelligent parrots are and, by extension, improved the lives of many pet parrots by demonstrating the possibilities of interaction between owners and their birds. Dr Pepperberg will resume her studies with her two other African Grey "students".

Please consider supporting Dr Pepperberg's work by contributing to the Alex Foundation...

The World Parrot Trust

The World Parrot Trust is working to protect the many endangered species of parrots around the world. The trust is campaigning to stop importation of wild caught birds into the European Union...

PsittaScene, the magazine of the World Parrot Trust, published an article by Gina Kornblith which presents a thought-provoking view of keeping parrots as pets. If you are interested in their welfare, it is recommended reading. The article is available as a pdf file (272 KB).

The National Parrot Sanctuary

The National Parrot Sanctuary is giving comfort to imported, retired breeding and ex-pet parrots. You can visit the sanctuary near Skegness in Lincolnshire, England...