we are babysitting D's brother's african grey parrot, rocky*, for a little over a week. she's a sweet bird, albeit a bit neurotic, but she's settled into her new routine pretty well.
i noticed yesterday morning that she's totally picked up my ridiculous bird voice. every morning (and afternoon and evening and whenever) i chirp, "hello, rocky!" like a higher-pitched ethel merman, and now the bird sounds like ethel as well at times. our new favorite game is, "who is rocky being?" sometimes we can hear D's brother, lower pitched and gruff, his sister-in-law with her sweet, tiny voice; sometimes she's the phone, "beep, beep, beep..." and when i hear my voice coming out of her beak, it just tickles me to no end. she says "thank you" at appropriate times, and "oh boy" when you come to her with a bit of banana, and every now and then we'll all be laughing at something on the tv and she'll join in. i wonder how much she knows what she's saying, and am amazed at how much like us she sounds.
i have to say, though, lulu is not impressed. she's okay with rocky most of the time, but once she starts talking, lulu is out of there. i think the bird making people sounds is just too much for her kitten brain.
*rocky was named because they thought she was a boy. then she laid an egg.
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