TRENTON, N.J. - Cries for help inside a Trenton, N.J., home turned out to be for the birds.

Neighbours called police Wednesday morning after hearing a woman's persistent cry of "Help me! Help me!"

Officers arrived and, when no one answered the door, they kicked it in to make a rescue. But instead of a damsel in distress, they found a caged cockatoo doing a convincing imitation.

It wasn't the first time the 10-year-old bird named Luna said something that brought authorities to the home of owner Evelyn DeLeon.

About seven years ago, the bird cried like a baby for hours, leading to reports of a possible abandoned baby and a visit to the home by state child welfare workers. But it was only Luna practising a newfound sound.

DeLeon says her bird learns much of her ever-growing vocabulary from watching television, in both English and Spanish.




http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddi...506AU.html

oh man you'd have to post a warning on the door.

... or buy one of these...

ThreadBare said:

I've owned birds before, but I don't think I could ever have a breed that can be taught to speak. I'd be too afraid of what it'd learn and decide to repeat!

meow85 said:

It often decides to pick often repeated sounds, like laughter or ringtones.

My grandma had one and she used to say Me Oh My (ohohoh, wat erg, to be axact) often, so her parrot picked up on that. It taught my grandmom to stop using it, but her parrot never stopped doing it.

HamsterHuey said:

You never know though.

The stupid cockatoo a few doors up LOVES to imitate the telephone ringing.

Buddy The Macaw Now Meows

birds are highly intelligent creatures and can be very mischievous. it's been my experience that once a bird learns it can attract attention by using a talent or learned skill it will gleefully do so.

i wouldn't be surprised if this bird is giggling around in its cage tonight and posting on MyNest and BeakBook about its adventures with the cops.

"next time i'll yell "help! i've fallen and I can't get up!"

XxAxX said:

The Bantam Cock

He was a fine upstanding bantam-cock
So brisk, and stiff, and spry...
With a springy step, and a jaunty plume,
And a purposeful look in his eye
In his little black laughing eye!

So I took him to the coop and introduced him to
My seventeen wide-eyed hens
And he tupped and he tupped as a hero tupps,
And he bowed to them all, and then,
He up and took 'em all again!

Then upon the peace of my ducks and geese
He boldly did intrude
And with glazed eyes and opened mouths
They bore him with fortitude...
And a little bit of gratitude!

He jumped my giggling guinea-fowl!
He thrust his attentions upon
Twenty hysterical turkeys,
And a visiting migrant swan!
And the bantam thundered on!

He groped my fan-tail pigeon doves,
My lily-white Columbine,
And as I was lookin' at me budgerigar,
He jumped my parrot from behind!
And it was sittin' on me shoulder at the time!

But all of a sudden, with a gasp and a gulp,
He clapped his wings to his head!
He lay flat on his back with his feet in the air;
My bantam-cock was dead!
And the vultures circled overhead!

What a noble beast! What a champion cock!
What a way to live and die!
As I dug him a grave to protect his bones,
From those hungry buzzards in the sky,
The bantam opened up his eyes!

He gave me a wink, and a terrible grin,
The way that rapists do...
He said, "Do you see them silly daft buggers up there?
They'll be down in a minnit 'er two!
They'll be down in a minnit 'er two!"