AUSTRALIA, INDONESIA, AFRICA, SOUTH AMERICA -- these are some of the ancestral homes of my
fine-feathered friends. Large birds are the new "hot" pet of the 90īs. But there is nothing new about parrots. From the
dawn of history, mankind has been domesticating animals for a variety of purposes, usually for food and clothing. Parrots,
however, have been primarily appreciated for their brilliant colors, their unique bonding with humans, and many other
endearing qualities, especially their voices. YES, they do talk. Quite well, actually. People have kept parrots as pets for
centuries, but their popularity as almost-human companions has soared in the last few years.
The earliest reference to these birds was written over 3,000 years ago, and is found in Indian literature. The scientific name
for the whole order, Psittaciformes, was derived, via the Greek psittakos, from an Indian word for parrot. In ancient times,
tame parrots were mostly associated with palaces and the wealthy. Respectable members of Roman society, from the
emperor down, would flaunt a parrot on their arm when in public as a status symbol. There was even a recognized
profession of parrot teachers to enhance the birds speech.
Parrots are also connected with the history of human sexuality. An ancient Hindu sex manual identifies teaching a parrot to
talk as one of the 64 practices that men had to master. And as recorded in Indian bas-reliefs, high-class prostitutes
signaled their trade by carrying a parrot on their wrist. The uncanny talents of these birds have been featured in fables,
poems and plays written in various Indian languages for over a thousand years.
Most people, however, associate parrots with pirates. Again, their history is more far- reaching and complex than just as
Long John Silverīs pet. In the 1400s, colorful and popular parrots were traded and sold for large sums of money, as much
as 100 gold pieces. In 1492, Christopher Columbus and captains of the Spanish Main were not only searching for passage
to the East Indies, they were also searching for evidence of parrots, for they believed the birds brought promise of great
riches.
A flock of parrots flying over the sea is supposed to have caused Columbus to veer southward and make landfall in
the caribbean. And so just as exploration and conquests continued over the centuries, so did the discovery and capture of
exotic birds. Fortunately for the parrots of today, the capture in the wild and importation for profit of these wonderful
creatures is no longer allowed in the United States. The majority of the parrots sold (legally) in this country today are
domestically bred, incubator hatched, hand-raised birds.
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