Emma the Teenager

6/11/2012

Emma The Teenager

 

She’s only 15 years old and like most teenagers can be sassy, rude and annoying all within the span of 15 or 20 minutes.  After a particularly nasty bout of attitude, she settles down becomes contrite and very well-behaved.  Emma isn’t your typical teen though – she’s an African Grey parrot.

You must be very committed before signing on to adopt a parrot.  Why?  Because they can live a long, long time.  Emma could live for 60 years and if you do the math that is potentially 45 more years.  I’ll be dust long before that which tends to make my sons nervous. Parrots can get hardening of the arteries just like humans so I catch my sons feeding her salty chips (which she loves) probably in an effort to shorten that 45 year span!

 

The African Grey parrot behaves a lot like a toddler - throwing food, pooping where and when they want and biting when it suits.  The most famous Grey was, of course, Alex who was part of a research project for 30 years until he died quite unexpectedly.  Alex could identify 50 objects, distinguish 7 colors and 5 shapes and had an amazing vocabulary.  I can’t boast that Emma can do all that; but, she is a very good talker.  She uses different voices (mine, my husband or sons) and mimics sounds like a cell phone or the creak of a door.  The actual creak of our pantry door immediately followed by Emma’s echoing sound got the hinges oiled up in record time!  When I need my husband I tend to holler up the stairs for him.  When Emma screams out “Jeffrey” it makes me sound more like a fishwife and I know I don’t sound like that! Our basement is called the hole and every morning after the dogs get their breakfast, Emma tells them “to get in the hole.”

The sex of a Grey can only be determined through a blood test which we have never bothered with.  Due to the fact that in 15 years there has been no egg production; and, that Emma’s voice becomes very soft and quiet when a woman approaches, we’re betting that we really own Emmett!

Emma does have a seed diet; but, her favorite people foods are: buttered toast, eggs, the fat from meat, corn on the cob and chicken bones.  She will also sip daintily from a cup or cereal bowl as long as you don’t mind sharing.

I can’t speak for everyone’s parrot; but, in our house if you give someone a hug in front of Emma, she says, “it’s all right.”  I have no clue how she knows to put those particular words with that action, but it’s just one of the many marvels of owning a parrot.

I’ll offer you a final bit of wisdom about parrot ownership.  Be careful what you teach or what your parrot hears you say.  If you don’t, some day you might be embarrassed by the use of her colorful language!