Parrots are delightful creatures, often called 'nature's clowns', and with good reason. They are incredibly smart, colourful both literally and metaphorically, loud, and thoroughly entertaining — even the annoying ones!
The happy little guy in the video is a quaker parrot called Rio, and he obviously finds wind hilarious. Most parrots and other, equally intelligent birds, tend to mesh well with humans because they're sociable beings. As we can see with Rio, his reaction to his owner blowing in his face isn't one of annoyance or fear. In fact, he seems to be rather enjoying the experience.
Quaker parrots, commonly known as monk parakeets, are small, green parrots with a grey breast and green-yellow abdomen. They come from Argentina, from its sub-tropical and temperate regions, and other neighbouring South American countries. They tend to be about 30cm in length, with their wings spanning to about 50cm.
They are common birds wherever they live around the world, and South American countries like Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina see them as pests to agriculture. Monk parakeets are the only kind of parrot that, instead of using tree holes for nesting, builds a nest using sticks. They have a lifespan of between 15 to up to 30 years.
As pets, monk parakeets are very sociable and intelligent creatures. They can learn tons of phrases and words, and they can learn how to speak very early on, which make them a favourite for pet owners. People also tend to prefer them over cockatiels because monk parakeets tend to be cheaper and have a shorter lifespan.
Along with jays, magpies, ravens, and crows, parrots are among the smartest birds. Scientists estimate that some species of these types of birds can reach the intelligence of a human five-year-old. The University of York and University of St. Andrews researchers observed greater vasa parrots use pebbles and pits from fruit to break cockleshells. The males ate that powder and then offered the regurgitated goo to females as a mating gift.
Because of human interference, almost a third of all parrots globally are currently on the brink of extinction. Between the destruction of natural habitats and pet poaching, more and more species appear on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.