# Would you carry a parrot on your shoulder? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 27, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720 "2007-03-27T18:55:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/41 "2007-03-28T16:45:25Z")
No Way! A few years ago, my husband and I were walking through a tourist area of San Diego. A man with several birds was offering people photos of themselves with his birds. We walked by, without indicating any desire for a photo or an interaction with the birds. The man suddenly thrust a huge macaw onto my bare shoulder. I jumped, startled. The bird bit me on the neck, then bit through my purse strap. The man started yelling at me for “scaring his bird.” My next stop on our vacation was the ER. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/42 "2007-03-29T01:57:56Z")
1. I would not 2. Because my parrots are clumsy, lumpy birds who often fall the hell over 3. They do not appear to need teaching, they seem to learn whatever they think is worth saying 4. I like pretend pirates I used to allow my George bird to sit on my shoulder, but only when I was seated. He was housebroken, and would expand in warm green cloud that emitted a low, almost subsonic WHHHUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM noise. It was nicer than a purr. He would gaze lovingly into my eye from a distance of about 3 microns from my cornea, which would have complicated walking around. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/43 "2007-03-29T02:10:00Z")
1. It’s been known to happen. 2. I get paid for it. 3. “Bye!” (so I have an excuse to walk away from people staring at the parrot) 4. I own an autographed picture of Roberto Clemente. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/44 "2007-03-29T02:11:46Z")
**1- Would you carry a parrot on your shoulder if given the chance?** No. **2- Why or why not?** Birds scare me a little bit. They smell kind of funny. Plus, the poop thing. **3- What sentences would you teach it to say?** Not really applicable. But if I could: Quack. **4- Do you like pirates?** I like the glamour; but the reality sucks. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/45 "2007-03-29T02:40:09Z")
[QUOTE=August West] 1. No, I would not 2. Parrot poop 3. N/A 4. In the abstract, yes. [/QUOTE] **August West** wrote my answers. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gozu/32/6615_2.png) [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/46 "2007-03-29T02:58:23Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] The man suddenly thrust a huge macaw onto my bare shoulder. I jumped, startled. The bird bit me on the neck, then bit through my purse strap. The man started yelling at me for “scaring his bird.” My next stop on our vacation was the ER. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] Shame on you! Why did you scare the bird like that? You horrible bird hater! I hope he made you pay for the parrot’s shrink. Poor thing must’ve been traumatized by your reckless and, dare I say it, evil actions. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/47 "2007-03-29T14:46:32Z")
[QUOTE=Anastasaeon] \*\*Not really applicable. But if I could: Quack. [ [/QUOTE] But…would it echo if he said it??? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/48 "2007-03-29T20:38:47Z")
Can’t you toilet train parrots? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/49 "2007-03-30T04:12:46Z")
Mine is tub trained. Every morning his grand poop of the day goes into the tub. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/50 "2007-03-30T10:03:33Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] Can’t you toilet train parrots? [/QUOTE] Somewhat. But you’re talking about a critter that poops about every 20-30 minutes normally. I think sometimes they just don’t want to be bothered with stopping what they’re doing to worry about it. Some of them get the idea of controlled pooping and some don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/51 "2007-03-30T10:33:37Z")
Nah, my shoulder is already occupied. [http://my.tbaytel.net/culpeper/DragonsOfHopeUniform.jpg](http://my.tbaytel.net/culpeper/DragonsOfHopeUniform.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/52 "2007-03-30T11:31:45Z")
1- Would you carry a parrot on your shoulder if given the chance? Yes, I’d like to have a chirp on my shoulder. 2- Why or why not? It would drive my cats crazy. Plus it looks cool. 3- What sentences would you teach it to say? “Show me your superstructure, ye scurvy wench” 4- Do you like pirates? In movies, yes. Real ones, no. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/53 "2007-03-30T11:34:36Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] No Way! A few years ago, my husband and I were walking through a tourist area of San Diego. A man with several birds was offering people photos of themselves with his birds. We walked by, without indicating any desire for a photo or an interaction with the birds. The man suddenly thrust a huge macaw onto my bare shoulder. I jumped, startled. The bird bit me on the neck, then bit through my purse strap. The man started yelling at me for “scaring his bird.” My next stop on our vacation was the ER. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] WTF! I’d have called a cop. That’s insane! ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/54 "2007-03-30T13:10:51Z")
Picunurse, was that man trying to use the macaw to steal your purse? Those birds can be trained to do lots of things, some of which are probably not legal. I already have a parrot, or at least a cockatiel, on my shoulder. He says “booble-de-boo.” As for pirates, I guess they’re okay. I’ve never met one but according to family legend some of my ancestors were rescued from the Inquisition by a boatload of Norwegian pirates. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720/55 "2007-03-30T14:17:25Z")
1- Sure, I’ve spent enough time trying to train my room mate’s ferret to do the same (actually, I’d rather have something like a cat or a ferret sitting on my shoulder.) 2- Cause, COMON! I’ve got like, a sidekick, sitting on my shoulder! 3- _coughcough_ Buy me last paper for a nickle? 4- Pirates are all right, as far as these things go, but I was always more of a fan of the Navy guys who chased the pirates. Oh, incidently, when I was in Bisbee a few months back, I saw [this](http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/43619687/?qo=6&q=by%3Araguleader&qh=sort%3Atime+-in%3Ascraps), which, while not a parrot on a guy’s shoulder, is still definitely worth mentioning. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-parrot-on-your-shoulder/397720.md?page=2)