Singing Amazon Parrots

Not all parrots are the screaming, screeching, talking gibberish kinds of birds. A lot of parrots can mimic the human voice with a vocabulary of a few words up to more than a hundred words. The Yellow-naped Amazon parrot breaks all of these stereotypes and are sought after for their intelligence, playful personalities, and most of all, for their outstanding talking and singing abilities with a sense of pitch.

I stumbled upon some select Yellow-naped Amazon parrots on YouTube that can sing like people and are charmingly funny. Watching and listening to these singing Amazon parrots never failed to elicit laughter. Some can even improvise and make up their own words. This lens is showcasing my all-time favorites.

Photo source:Wikipedia Commons

Some parrots are performers and celebrities. Others are pets that were trained by their owners that took many years of patience and close-interaction. Yellow-Naped Amazons have a long life expectancy and may outlive their owners.

This performing Amazon parrot was featured in one of the Animal Planet programs in 2007. Not only is it a Yankee Doodle Dandy, but it can sing on cue and also sing in French.

by George M. Cohan

I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy

A Yankee Doodle, do or die

A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam

Born on the Fourth of July

I've got a Yankee Doodle sweetheart

She's my Yankee Doodle joy

Yankee Doodle came to London

Just to ride the ponies

I am the Yankee Doodle Boy.

"Alouette" is a popular French Canadian children's song about plucking the feathers off a skylark, a small bird. It originated with the French Canadian fur trade. Although it is in French, it is well-known among speakers of other languages; in this way it is similar to "Frère Jacques". Many American doughboys learned the song while serving in France during World War I and brought it home with them.- Source:Wikipedia.

Alouette, gentille Alouette

Alouette je the plumerai

Alouette, gentille Alouette

Alouette je the plumerai

Je the plumerai la tete

Je the plumerai la tete

Et la tte, et la tete

Alouette, Alouette

O-o-o-o-oh

Alouette, gentille Alouette

Alouette je te plumerai.

Christina Aguilera messed up the words of the National Anthem at the 2011 Super Bowl 45. In 1999, Roseanne Barr flubbed the song with the most improper pitch at the San Diego Padres Game. Celebrities make missteps like these to make the news and become more famous or notorious.

Boozle, a Yellow-nape Amazon parrot, sings his own version of the National Anthem with his human-like voice. He sounds more like someone who had one too many during a July 4th celebration. Not only is he singing out of tune, he makes up some of the words. This video nevel fails to crack me up. I vote for Boozle to sing in the 2012 Super Bowl.

Oh, say! can you see by the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming;

Shasta is a four-year old Yellow-naped Amazon parrot who greets customers at the Nature Chest Bird Shop in Decatur, Alabama. She is also the official toy tester and bird food critic.

In this video, Shasta plays with a blinky ball in a carboard box and sings as she kicks the ball around. She starts off with "We wish you a Merry Christmas," "You are my Sunshine," "Old McDOnald had a Farm," and ending with "How Much is That Doggie in the WIndow".

On April 4, 1953, singer Patti Page's rendition of (How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window went to No. 1 in the US Billboard Magazine chart, staying at the top spot for eight weeks.- Wikipedia

How much is that doggie in the window (arf, arf)

The one with the waggley tail

How much is that doggie in the window (arf, arf)

I do hope that doggie's for sale.

Boozle sings a classic children's song "Old McDonald Had a Farm" taught in school to familiarize children with the noise farm animals make. He has his unique, off-key style of singing which is so entertaining.

Old MacDonald had a farm,

Ee i ee i oh!

And on that farm he had some ducks

Ee i ee i oh!

With a quack quack here,

And a quack quack there

Here a quack, there a quack,

Everywhere a quack quack

Old MacDonald had a farm

Ee i ee i oh!

"I Got You (I Feel Good)" (commonly known as "I Feel Good") is a hit song by James Brown. Released as a single in 1965, it was one of Brown's signature songs, and is arguably his most widely-known recording. - Wikipedia

I feel good, sha na na na na na na I knew that I would, now sha na na na na na na

I feel good, sha na na na na na na I knew that I would, now sha na na na na na na

So good, so good, I got you.

"You Are My Sunshine" is a popular song first recorded in 1939. It has been declared one of the state songs of Louisiana as a result of its association with former state governor and country music singer Jimmie Davis. - Wikipedia

You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are grey

You'll never know dear

How much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away.

According to the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records, "Happy Birthday to You" is the most recognized song in the English language, followed by "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" and "Auld Lang Syne". The song's base lyrics have been translated into at least 18 languages. - Wikipedia

In this video, Boozle sings his own version of "Happy Birthday" with a twist.

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to you. (Whoa)

Hey good looking

What do you have cooking.....

This Yellow-nape Amazon parrot named Dewars is a prolific singer. He sings like a three-year old and has a repertoire of songs which include: "Roll out the Barrel", "Happy Birthday", "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", "Rockabye Baby", " Row, row, row your Boat", "How much is that Doggie in the Window." Although Dewars never finishes a song, he strings the songs together into a delightful and funny medley.

Parrots can walk all over you if given a chance

Yellow-naped Amazon parrots are delightful and entertaining pets. But they can be a handful and are not for everyone. These birds need constant interaction with humans, love to climb and play, and can get aggressive and will try to overpower if given the chance. These training books are a must for those who are interesting in owning one for a pet. Amazons are also expensive- over $1000 for a weaned, well-socialized baby.

Parrot Tricks:

Teaching Parrots with Positive Reinforcement

Teaching Your Bird to Talk

Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot

(Barron's)

The Conure Handbook

(Barron's Pet Handbooks)

Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior

The Second-Hand Parrot

The Parrot Problem Solver

Good Bird! A Guide to Solving Behavioral Problems in Companion Parrots

These Yellow-naped Amazon parrots took many years to train to do what they do. Some take on a human voice and love to play and clown around. If a three-year old can entertain with his or her singing prowess, these little critters are far more amazing because they are birds mimicking the human voice.