THE GAZETTE-TIMES, Hppf, OR. TharwUr. De- 23, 1978. P.g. 7
Spanish s peakirn
Birdbrains enrolled at
A C. Houghton elementary
Four birdbrains have recently enrolled at A C. Houghton
Elementary School, Jrrigon.
Sitting in class each day clad in chartreuse green with
splashes of yllow and red attire, four parrots Buque,
Llorona, Lupita and Macho have proved very colorful
personalities In more ways than one.
Indeed the four have acquired a vast following of "pupil
Parrot fans."
The parrots take great joy in their mimicry. "They will
snap at each other," said their co-owner Lian Wilkes, "and
then laugh like it's some big joke,"
The quartet immigrated from Costa Hica with the aid of
Uan and her husband, David. They recently completed a 2'
year stint with the Peace Corps. "I worked at the nutrition
center and David taught at the National University, advising
the biology department on programs and materials," Lian
explained. "We returned to the states in July."
They adopted their four feathered friends in the course of
their volunteer work. "When it came time to leave we had to
get a lot of signatures and paperwork squared away in order
to bring them with us," says Lian. "If we would have come
through the Miami or New York airports they would have
just destroyed them, not even bothered."
"Hut we came through Los Angeles and they saw that we
had gone to a lot of trouble when we showed them the papers
to they allowed them in," Lian said. A veterinarian was sent
in to check them over and we quarantined them ourselves.
The University of Oregon Biology Dept. is going to study
their behavior hubits during the summer and that was all we
needed to get thm out of Costa Hica."
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'A lot of families in Costa Rica have parrots for
pets. It's like having a dog here.'
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'If I don't keep things locked op they'll be
Into overthing.'
At the end of October Lian, who has a University of Oregon
teaching degree, was added to the A C. Houghton teaching
staff. "I bring the parrots to class with me every day because
they become very friendly if you handle and talk to them a
lot. But if you leave them alone too much they are so sensitive
they will withdraw and get crabby," Lian explains.
"I teach reading and math as a Title I teacher, hired to
teach in areas of special need," says Lian. "The committee
(A C. Houghton) thought some of the children here needed
help in some subjects. I really enjoy the individual basis of
working with each child. The children seem to work harder
for the privilege of doing something like handling the birds at
the end of the period. Lupita was older when we got her, she's
10 or 11 now, and hadn't been handled enough so I asked the
children not to handle her. But the rest are fine for touching."
They haven't been here long
enough to learn any English
words or phrases yet. '
Sitting on an elk horn perch in the middle of the room the
parrots are not particularly choosy about their listeners and
will speak at length to all available ears, in Spanish no less.
"They haven't been here long enough to learn any English
words or phrases yet. What they have picked up are the gross
things unfortunately. If you sneeze or cough they will too,"
says Lian in disgust.
"They have different backgrounds so the way they talk is
individual," Lian said. "Lupita was raised in a family that
must have had a man who was drunk a lot because she can
produce a drunken laugh that you could swear was a man's.
She has about seven different laughs as well. One sounds like
my grandmother's and another like a child's giggle. Llorona,
(pronounced Yorrona) she's two now, had been a baby's pet
so she can produce the cry of a 2 year old that fools many
people. Her words are all baby words with a baby sound like
' 'Bowwww Wowwww."
If a bird is raised around a child, when that child is scolded
and then cries the bird learns to associate the scolding voice
with crying and will cry too if you speak to him in a scolding
voice," Lian said. The two younger birds. Macho and Buque,
are each about one now and just beginning to talk. Mostly the
parrots say whatever they want to, Lian said.
Story & Photos
by Lavon Starr
Times-Herald
Boardman
"A lot of families in Costa Rica have parrots for pets," she
pointed out. "It's like having a dog here, some like them
others don't."
"The birds actually learn to talk much better from women
and children than they do from men who have a lower tone to
their voice. I'm much more fond of them than I have ever
been of a dog or cat as a pet. It may be because they can
speak back. We do spend a lot of time just talking," Lian
said.
"Papa, Mama, Papa," calls Llorona. "cough, cough,
cough." Sounds as if parrot fever has hit instead of that swine
flu thing.
"They haven't had any colds or anything since coming
here." assured Lian. "They have adjusted to the climate
very well. I bring them to and from school in a towel covered
cage. They eat apple, bananas, sunflower seeds and
peanuts."
Macho flutters down to the table to grab a quick peanut
which he expertly peels and consumes.
"They love milk." said Lian, "and drink most anything
else coffee, water, anything."
Their wings are clipped and the birds are loose in the room.
"If I don't keep things locked up they'll be into everything."
says Uan, juggling the four birds now sitting on her hands,
arms and shoulders. "They go for things like thread, string
and yarn. They're just in hog heaven when they do find
some."
"As for pets. I would recommend them only for a person
who had a real interest and the time to spend with them. You
should get very young ones, the older one have probably
been in a cage much of the time and are not nearly as
affectionate as those you raise. They learn most of their
words during the first two years, but they can learn other
words after that too." said Uan as she grabs Macho who is
hanging from her collar down her back.
"Actually, they are able to talk," continues Lian. "because
they have a hole on the back of their tongue and..."
"Hasla Luego, Mama tC.ood Byt Mama)," Interrupts
Lupita. "I Inn la turgo." Apparently not wanting to give out
any trade secrets, Lupita has had quite enough of the
Interview.
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Uan Wilkes and two of four parrots.
"They love milk and drink most anything else
coffee, water, anything.' '-'
We will be
Open
till 9pm
Thur., Dec.
23 "
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Coles House of Fashion
Posy Patch
Gardner's Men's Wear
Peterson's Jewelry
Coast-toCoast
Gonty's Shoe Store
Lebush Shoppe
Case Furniture
Sears Catolog Store
Judy's Fabrics
Murray's Drugs
Come in and finish your last
minute shopping
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