Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Parrot News-parrots play 'cat and mouse' with a dog and a horse


Ava and Mio, both aged two, have become locally renowned for stalking their owner's dog and even playing with a horse from a nearby stable.

The blue-and-yellow macaws like to fly together in unison looking for mischief.

Helicopter pilot Julian Knott, who owns the birds, said they loved nothing more than to tease his seven-year-old mongrel Flitzer.

"It's an interactive game between the birds and Flitzer our dog," said Mr Knott, 25, from Hamburg.

"The games are sometimes initiated by the parrots and sometimes by Flitzer, but in the blink of an eye the hunter becomes the hunted and Flitzer follows the macaws.

"We let them out each morning and it only takes a few minutes before they have emptied the apple tree. After they have eaten, they both rest in a tree, then become active towards the evening.

"This is playtime for the parrots and they even manage to play with Lasso, a 15-year-old horse from the stable behind us."

He said local people had become acquainted with the large, brightly coloured birds, which have an impressive four-foot wingspan.

"Sometimes they call me, that they have seen them on the river, bathing or visiting a shop," he said.

"We don't care – they come home every evening. They feel totally at home with us and we don't have to be scared, that they would get off."

Blue-and-yellow macaws, one of the largest species of parrots, are intelligent and social birds, known for their ability to mimic human speech. They mate for life, which can be up to 60 years, and also tend to bond closely with their owners.