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