The Parrot Who Owns Me

The Story of a Relationship
by Joanna Burger

Ornithologist writes about her gradually deepening relationship with her parrot. The story goes back and forth between how she acquired the bird (it originally belonged to a neighbor), how she slowly earned its trust and learned to live with its quirks and demands- the parrot very much ran that household- and her studies in the field, usually involving birds including terns, gulls and wild parrots, but sometimes other wildlife such as baboons. It was really interesting to see how after each trip for studies, she would come home with new understanding of her parrot's behavior. It became increasingly hard for her to leave him for any length of time, because he bonded to her strongly, considered her his mate, attacked her husband if he showed affection, and often disliked strangers intensely. I found all the little details about what life with a parrot can be like very intriguing to read about- they are so smart and stubborn! but am even more firmly convinced they do not make a good pet for the average person. The author also discusses the issues with parrots in the pet trade, environmental ills, and shares many personal anecdotes from her home life and her travels. I found it very enjoyable reading, although it was the kind of book I had to take slowly, the chapters were so full of things to think about.

Rating: 4/5          245 pages, 2001

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