The
African grey parrot
Alex, who, in studies by Dr. Irene Pepperberg, has demonstrated an ability to
count; differentiate categories involving objects,
colors, shapes, and materials; and understand the
concept of same and different
The Capitoline geese, who warned of an imminent
attack on Rome's hill of the Capitol by the Gauls in 390 B.C.
Cher Ami, British-bred
homing pigeon (autumn of 1918) – delivers twelve
messages for the U.S. Army during World War I, among
other things helping to save the Lost Battalion.
Incas, the last
Carolina parakeet, who died in 1918 at the Cincinnati
Zoo, reportedly of grief after his mate
Lady Jane died a few months before him, in
1917
Martha, the last of the American passenger
pigeons, who died at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914. Species
Requiem Day, September 1, marks Martha's passing.
Mike, the
Wyandotte rooster of Fruita, Colorado who lived for 18
months after his head was cut off. The botched
decapitation in 1945 missed his brain stem and jugular
vein. His owners fed him thereafter with an eyedropper,
and took him on tours of the West Coast. He died in
1947.
The
ducks of the
Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, who, in a tradition
dating back to the 1930s, are escorted from their
penthouse palace down the elevator every day of the year
at 11:00 a.m., cross a red carpet to a Sousa march, and spend the day in the lobby
fountain, returning home with equal ceremony at 5:00
p.m.
The
ravens of the
Tower of London, whose continuing presence there is
said to maintain the general safety of the kingdom. qand
Birds owned by famous people
Mrs. Ballard's parrots, whose owner, Alba
Ballard, dressed them up in costumes and had them
photographed in miniature scenes she made. Sherlock
Holmes, General Patton, and Sonny and Cher were just a few of the people
portrayed. They appeared on several American late-night
television shows in the 1970s and 1980s.
The
parrot who sailed with Thor Heyerdahl on the raft
Kon-Tiki
Ulysses,
Gerald Durrell's pet owl when he was growing up in
Corfu. Ulysses appeared frequently in Durrell's
books about living on the Greek island.