The Chatty Charmer
{Mickey}
A 13-year-old male Solomon Island Eclectus parrot
His humans: Carissa Duro (quoted here) and Matt DeRubeis of Hastings-on-Hudson
Ten-second commercial: Mickey is not your typical bird. As loyal as a dog and as curious as a cat, he has such a wonderful and big personality even though he’s in such a small, two-pound body. Named after: The most famous mouse of all time. I have always been a huge Disney fan. I wanted couples’ names as we have two birds—the other is his girlfriend, Minnie. Best trick: Speaking, based on social cues. He does not repeat or mimic us; instead, he practices his speaking when he is falling asleep at bedtime. Sounds like: Elmo. When he says ‘hello,’ it comes out as ‘heh-woh.’ Other vocab includes: ‘What’s the matta?’, ‘awwww,’ and ‘wow.’ Popular pastime: Exploring in drawers, under the couch, and inside closets. Most annoying habit: Throwing a temper tantrum and screaming at the top of his lungs when you take him out of his favorite room—the bathroom. Is obsessed with: All Star Wars movies. He makes the laser gun noise—‘pew, pew, pew.’ Fave plaything: A piece of paper towel—he loves playing tug-of-war with it. Favorite nosh: Baby carrots. He tries to put whole baby carrots under his wings to eat at a later time but that never happens because they just fall. Thinks he is: A dog. Mickey barks, plays tug-of-war, and follows us around—both flying and walking. Sweetest habits: Squeaking when he’s falling asleep and putting himself to bed every night at 9 pm. Most oddball behavior: He’s obsessed with looking in mouths. He will stare at your mouth when you are talking and, if he’s really interested, he will attempt to stick his head inside for a closer look.
