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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 26, 2017)
BANDS & ENTERTAINMENT Pirate’s parrot show is truly for the birds C Photo courtesy of Chris Biro Chris Biro of the Pirate’s Parrot show poses with a young audience member and a blue and yellow macaw. hris Biro has one tip for those look- ing to attend the Pirate’s Parrot Show: “Bring dollar bills.” That’s because the cash will allow you a one-of-a-kind view of a sun conure, a bright yellow bird from South America. The bird will land on your hand, grab that dollar bill in its beak and fly back to Biro. It’s hard to say whether or not you’ll get the bill back. Biro is a pirate, after all. His live show takes place on an authentic pirate ship. He wears a true tricorner hat and carries a sword. But rather than pillage and plunder, Biro spends his days teaching audi- ences about his favorite thing: parrots. “You’re going to get to hold and pet the birds,” he said of the live show, which fea- tures up to 40 parrots. The birds will also perform flight patterns and speaking tricks. Biro has been a professional free flight bird trainer since 1993. It all started with CELEBRATING 30 YEARS IN THE COMMUNITY! • Specialty Welding • Water Jetting/ Sandblasting • Fabrication • Steel Sales • Certifi ed Welders 541-567-7171 • 80496 Highway 395 N. • Hermiston CCB# 66293 www.nwmetalfab.com AGRICULTURE & YOUTH NIGHT CALF DRESSING EVENT* Th ursday, August 10, 2017 *Teams consisting of two FFA members from throughout the county compete in the "calf dress- ing" competition for bragging rights amongst FFA Chapters. Winning chapter will receive $1000, courtesy of Elmer's Irrigation, Inc.! Enjoy the Fair & Rodeo Support FFA & 4-H Animal Sale Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017 Remember to protect your ears from loud noise! Verna Taylor, HAS Ric Jones, BC-HIS Forrest Cahill, HAS 541-567-4063 • 405 N. 1st St., Suite #107, Hermiston 541-215-1888 • 246 SW Dorion, Pendleton 16 | Umatilla County Fair Guide 2017 Chester, a cherry-head conure that belonged to his sister. Biro described the bird as a “hard-biting, nasty little guy.” “I took it as a challenge,” he said. Be- fore long, the bird was trained and the two were inseparable. “I ended up losing him on a road trip,” he said. “He got up in a tree with partially clipped wings, and I didn’t spend enough time looking for him.” Since then, Biro has flown over 100 birds and accumulated more than 2,500 months of combined flying time. He helps raise and train parrots for Bird Recovery International, a nonprofit he founded in 2010 to improve conservation release practices. And he trav- els from February to November in a motor home filled with 45 squawking — but lov- able — parrots. It’s all to bring the Pirate’s Parrot Show to fair audiences. “Parrots are amazing, wonderful crea- tures,” he said. ELMER’S IRRIGATION, INC. Sponsored By "Proudly serving and investing in the future of our communities." 80527 Hwy 395 N. • Hermiston • 541-567-5572
