Our parrot Max is a Senegal. His vocabulary is far smaller than a Grey but his is not too bad. He too picked up all of the things we did not want him to pick up.

He was a rescue bird when we got him. He was 17mos old when he took over our home and family. A coworker of mine called me at work one AM and asked if we would take a parrot that one of his night shift team mates was about to pluck and stuff for dinner. The original owner bought Max as a fledgling and hand raised him. The problem started when he went to night shift and moved into a home that was in a sub division that was built in a former Pecan orchard. The grackles roosted in the Pecan trees so the parrot did an amazing repertoire of grackle screeches. When the owner would come home from night shift in the AM the bird was getting started. Grackle screeches are not conducive to sleep. So, we took the bird and renamed him Max.

For the first two days he sat in his cage without moving, made no noise, nothing. On day three my bride called my work phone "Do you know what your bird just said!!!" For two days the bird and the kid (Then 3yo)just stared at each other. On day three the bird finally yelled "SHUT UP GOD DAMN IT!!!" So, when we got him he could scream and screetch like a grackle and scream "SHUT UP GOD DAMN IT!"

The funny part is that to Max screaming shut up actually meant "It is too quiet in here. Talk to me."

Over the 15 years he lived in our family his vocab increased and changed significantly. No more God damn it but lots of equally spicy things.

Shut up! -Always meant that it was too quiet and Max wanted to talk or play. He only said it when it was quiet.

Damn it! Damn it! - When he was frustrated he would hunch his shoulders and neck and march back and forth saying Damn it, damn it. Always twice in a row. Over and over again.

Whatcha doin? - Exactly what it says. When DW, Skid, or me were doing something Max found interesting he would ask this question.

Gimme Kiss! - Kissing sounds. Gimme hugs!!! - He liked kisses and hugs. Hugs were when he would jump on a shoulder and nuggle his head and beak in the crook of your neck and snuggle and the people would cover him with a hand and snuggle our neck against him. He would chortle and sigh.

Where's (Skid), or (DW), or Daddy?. He called me daddy because that is what the Skid called me when we first got Max. He would ask where the person not in the room was and if they did not show up he would start calling them "Daaaaaadddddddeeeeeeeee!". If he was in a room alone and he knew someone else was home he would go through asking where everyone was, then he would call them by name. After that he would march through the house calling people and hunting them down. He is people. His people had to be doing what he wanted to do when he wanted to be doing it.

Gimme a grape! - Max likes grapes.

Gimme bites!. - He wanted what we were eating and we always shared part of our dinner with him. No avocados or chocolate of course but he was people and he ate people food in addition to bird pellets and fresh veggies and fruit.

You are a pain in the ass!!! - One day I walked into the kitchen and my bride sprayed me with the dish sprayer. We got into a major water battle. Since I had no water at one point in the battle I told DW "You are a pain in the ass." Max heard it just one time yet for a couple of years after that anytime DW would walk into the room Max would proudly proclaim "You are a pain in the ass!"

Hello! - When the phone would ring he would answer the ring by saying "Hello?" Often followed by "Whatcha doin?

He had a decent vocab but he also did all kinds of beeps, and noises. The microwave buttons, the phone ringing, my blood tester beeps. He would do the blood tester noise when my BG was either high or low. He knew that it was time for me to test.

Every evening when it was time for dinner to be prepare he would start calling my DW's name. She would always respond Whaaaaaattttt!!!!. So, he came up with is dinner time routine. DWWWWWWWW!, Whaaaaattttttt!!!, Knock, knock,knock, Ha, ha, ha! He would call DW to the kitchen, say whaaaaat, make the sound of a wooden spoon knocking on the side of a mixing bowl, then he would laugh. DW and the bird did this routine for years, and years, and years.

He got up to about 35 words and phrases and dozens of beeps, knocks, etc... He would combine them in all kinds of ways. He also liked to sing. My dad is his favorite people. Every time mom and dad would visit Max and dad would sing and dance together.

We all miss the bird. But, he has had a great new family for the past 3 years. Two young girls in the home and a buddy African Grey rescue mate. I am sure that is one lively and vocal household.

When we took an international assignment the quarantine and transport costs were $8K. Way too much for a $350 rescue feathered rodent with wings.

I'm sure when I see the light I will laugh more, I mean my dad is a crack up as is. Mom is more serious, but she's funny because for her birthday I bought her 50$ worth of hamster stuff and spent an hour setting up this play pen and house thing for her hamster. Dad gets Darth Vader shirts, mom gets hamster and bird toys, and yet they offer me the weirdest advice.

I am just glad that they are not running around bragging about their step grand son, unlike my grandparents bragging to everyone at the damn boat marina, OMG THIS IS OUR NEW GREAT GRANDSON !!! ...............NO.NONONONONO.NOOOOOOOOOONONONONONO.NONONONONO!!! So these people look at me liike damn, you were like 12 when you had this kid??? NO NO NO NO NO !!!!1 SCREW YOU GRANDPARENTS!!!!!!!! My response "I didn't even have to push him out!" Whatever. I wish I could have pushed him off the dock then and hopefully a catfish would have eaten him.