Fellow birders,

     I just talked to someone who has an African Gray Parrot.  When he puts
the large cage out on his porch, THE PARROT ACTUALLY CALLS IN WILD BIRDS by
mimicking their calls and by saying "here birdie, birdie".  He's in Florida
now and calls in Mockingbirds, Cardinals, and other birds that the owner
can't identify. When he is in Ohio, he calls in sparrows. HE THEN HANDS
THEM FOOD.  If his cage is open, as it sometimes is, they come into the
cage with him to get the food.  When the birds leave, he says "Bye Birdie,
Careful"  He has apparently learned several bird songs and uses them to
call in the various birds.

     While this is clearly not a sighting, I thought the birders on this
list would enjoy hearing this story, *which I did not make up*.  I'm not
sure whether using your parrot to call in birds violates any birding
ethics, but it probably does offend some birders, just as this post no
doubt does. Most of you, I suspect, enjoyed it.

Joe in the woods
Somerset, Ohio
Perry County

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