Lost African Grey parrot gets the community talking

An African Grey parrot found on Conduit Street sings, speaks and is tame. The missing bird is currently at the Bryanston Avian, Exotic and Small Animal Clinic.

This after the bird was found in the Johannesburg-North precinct. The bird seems to speak in a man’s voice and also utters some Zulu words.
Dr Melissa Marengo told Randburg Sun on December 8 that they still have the bird in their care. “The owner has not come forward yet, however, we have had much interest from people having lost their birds but the ring numbers don’t match or people don’t recognise the parrot as their own.”
She said it was very frustrating because the bird was clearly an involved member of a family with all the chatting and talking it does. The parrot was taken to the clinic by Megan Tyack who is fond of the birds. This after one of her neighbours found the bird in the tree on November 25 2021.

“They (neighbour) heard this little guy and they couldn’t see him, and they didn’t know where he was and on Friday morning, they heard him again and managed to see him and coax him down on to their car with an apple,” she said.
They posted on their WhatsApp community group about the bird and that they couldn’t keep it as they have big dogs. Tyack messaged them and indicated she had birds and offered the cage.

The neighbour managed to get the bird into the cage and took it to Tyack. She said many residents messaged her and said they would rehome the bird.
“I know that this bird was quite plump and was talking and it was a lot of fun to be around it – it was like having a little two-year-old.”
She then realised that the bird was loved and she put up a message on Facebook looking for the owner but people she called had hoped it was their bird whereas it wasn’t. Certain things that the bird was saying people couldn’t identify with suggesting that it wasn’t theirs.

Dr Marengo said parrots usually stay in their cage inside the house. When people are at home they tend to open for them and they fly within the yard but if something scares them, they fly out. “That’s how we see parrots getting lost.”
As one of the few avian veterinary clinics in the greater Johannesburg area, they often encourage people to come and find their birds if found and brought to them. She said it was very common that lost birds can be found far away from their homes.
“If after three months, nobody comes forward and claims the bird, we put it up for adoption so that it can find a new home.”
Usually they ask the owner or someone claiming the bird to provide proof of ownership. This may be a picture, video or if the bird has a ring on the leg that has a number on it. They also ask the owner certain things that the bird can say.