“How are you doing?”

This is Jeremy, an exotic parrot. I adopted him 31 years ago. He is a Moluccan, or Salmon-Crested Cockatoo, and he will be 32 years old in June.

Bouganvillea Glamour Bird

He’s smart, he mimics language and “talks” to the extent that he says things when he “knows” it is the right time to say it.

Jeremy Destroying the Daisies

Certain phrases have tone, which I anthropomorphize as meaning. (I know I do, so it’s ok.)

An example is when Jeremy-the-Bird says, “I love you.” He says it in the same...