COVID-19, Culture, Gender, Parrots, Science, Sex
NOW for something completely different—and uplifting.
The more clothed a society and the greater its social complexity — the more common kissing is. Makes sense: Kill the allure and mystery of modesty—and you kill the more subtle shows of affection, because everything else is already on display.
Since parrots are mentioned way too flippantly in this delightful BBC video clip, I’ll divulge that Oscar-Wood, Mercer parrot, is very evolved in his displays of affection.
RELATED: “THAT KISS.”
It was in 2016 that Donald Trump captivated my cherub, Oscar-Wood Mercer. When a Trump rally would begin, he’d fly to his chair at the dinner table and perch there mesmerized.
Here’s the sequence:
“Just landed, mama. Must get into position for the rally.”
“What do you want, mama? Can’t you see I’m busy? Let me watch.”
“OMG, this guy is good. But I’m also an Alpha Male. Let me impress him with my wing span and feathers.”
Happy World Animal Day to my favorite little guy, Oscar-Wood.
Here mama’s cherub makes himself COVID clean. It’s pretty rare for a parrot to wash each foot with such focused intent. He doesn’t quit until he has gone through 4 fresh dishes of water.
You can hear mama’s exclamations of pride in the background.
Happy World Animal Day to all animals and their pet people.
Happy World #AnimalDay to my favorite little guy, Oscar-Wood. Here mama's cherub makes himself #COVID clean. It's pretty rare for a #parrot to wash each foot with such focused intent. He doesn't quit until he's gone through 4 fresh dishes of water. pic.twitter.com/rxuWPsoMv8
— ILANA Mercer (@IlanaMercer) October 5, 2020
UPDATE (10/8): Oscar-Wood used to pluck his feathers before his rescue. As explained, parrots are the only creatures to self-mutilate out of depression, in captivity. Some parrots go as far as to drill holes in their chests. It’s too sad for words. Oscar-Wood only ever plucked himself. Here is what he once looked like:
Parrot genius: Oscar-Wood has a luxurious aviary in a pretty garden with birdbaths and wild blooms (Columbine, being my favorite flower, because wild). BUT he hates it because he’s afraid of cats and raccoons (predators both). As soon as he hears anyone say “outside” or “summer camp,” my code, he rushes back inside his cage and slams the door. (Oscar-Wood looks like a mini dinosaur. Total tyrant.)
Parrot smart? Are you kidding me?
Parrots, the medium/larger ones, have primate-level intelligence. They’re not mere mimics; but use language in context. Adorable too. No training is involved in their fashioning of tools to obtain treats. Corvids are wicked smart but they are not naturally kind like parrots.
There is a lot people, so unkind, can learn from parrots, so congenitally kind.
Forbes: “Some parrots are more intelligent than humans, on average, the kea” is an example. The Kea “outperform monkeys — and perhaps even human infants — on certain probability tasks.”