Author Topic: A Parrot Riding a Car's Windshield Wipers (Read 17386 times)

Renegade · « **on:** March 30, 2011, 11:22 PM »

There are many more videos of it out there. That's a news one with the parrot owner talking about it.

Seems to have ticked off quite a few people that have been very vocal about their hatred for the fellow.

mouser · « **Reply #1 on:** March 30, 2011, 11:30 PM »

Is the parrot terrified by it?
i don't know and i don't know think the owner knows or cares -- which is what makes him an assh*le; how people can get enjoyment out of trying to scare some creature is beyond me.

Renegade · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2011, 11:42 PM »

I don't think the guy means to be cruel. (He doesn't sound all that bright.)

What I find conflicting is tonight I'll likely have some meat for dinner, and I know that there are serious problems with livestock and their living conditions. For me to condemn this guy, then go have a hamburger or chicken breast is really kind of hypocritical.

Dunno. I can't see myself doing something like he did, but I can see myself munching on a chicken. The parrot is still alive. The chicken isn't. Which is worse?

4wd · « **Reply #3 on:** March 31, 2011, 12:23 AM »

That's a news one with the parrot owner talking about it.
-Renegade (March 30, 2011, 11:22 PM)

Please note, you are confusing tripe with news - aca, (A Current Affair), has not been associated with real news content for more years than I care, (or can), remember.

News programs in Australia exist on two TV channels only - SBS and ABC.

Renegade · « **Reply #4 on:** March 31, 2011, 12:29 AM »

That's a news one with the parrot owner talking about it.
-Renegade (March 30, 2011, 11:22 PM)

Please note, you are confusing tripe with news - aca, (A Current Affair), has not been associated with real news content for more years than I care, (or can), remember.

News programs in Australia exist on two TV channels only - SBS and ABC.
-4wd (March 31, 2011, 12:23 AM)

I stopped differentiating between news and entertainment/tripe long ago when the two merged.

But I know what you mean. A Current Affair is little different from Fox News.

(I am so tired of 24/7 blaring about disasters and terrorism...)

hamradio · « **Reply #5 on:** March 31, 2011, 12:39 AM »

I don't condone him doing that, but looks like to me the parrot would fly away if it wasn't enjoying the ride because the parrot doesn't look like is attached to anything.

Renegade · « **Reply #6 on:** March 31, 2011, 01:16 AM »

I think the parrots wings have been clipped. Not 100% sure, but it would make sense.

nudone · « **Reply #7 on:** March 31, 2011, 03:16 AM »

[Disclaimer: I'm also a hypocrite as I don't like cruelty to animals (who would) but I'm more than happy for them to be slaughtered for my dinner plate. I am far to lazy to become vegetarian - and also like the taste of meat.]

Without fully understanding parrot psychology, it looks like the parrot isn't too distressed by the ride (and may be enjoying it):

1) Even if its wings are clipped, it doesn't appear to be stressed when perched on the wiper when the car is stationary. Assuming the parrot can remember the last high speed journey it made, riding the wiper, I'd expect it to jump off the wiper when the car is stationary - why would any animal stay in a location it considered stressful.

2) Anyone seen a dog stick its head out of a speeding car open window? The appear to love doing it. Why shouldn't a parrot be the same, why is there always an automatic assumption that the animal is in distress, the parrot might be absolutely thrilled by the speed.

3) The "expert" woman says that the parrot is clearly in distress because it doesn't move about on the wiper. Well, you wouldn't move about on the wiper when travelling at high speed because you want to keep your shape aerodynamic - the parrot has plenty of opportunity to jump off the wiper when the car is moving slower, and as we see at the end, the parrot gets, accidently, thrown of the wiper. It doesn't make a quick escape, instead it just stands there waiting for another ride.

4) If the parrot really hated the experience, wouldn't it be attacking it's owner to demonstrate how it felt. Instead I see quite a happy parrot with its owner.

5) The guy might not come across as that smart, but he seems to love his parrot. I think he'd realise if the parrot didn't seem happy about the whole thing. I doubt that one day he decided it was a good idea to take his parrot on a 60mph test drive - maybe a slow driver around the block for starters, and then faster runs as they progressed.

mouser · « **Reply #8 on:** March 31, 2011, 03:22 AM »

i can't disagree with anything nudone says -- which is why i started off my comment saying that i really don't know if the parrot was scared. hey he's a bird it's possible he loved it. but it's hard to know.

my comment was focused on the fact that the owner doesn't seem particularly interested in whether the bird is terrified or not, which is the red flag for me.

if he was sitting there saying: "i love my bird and i'm convinced he loves the ride" -- i wouldn't have a complaint.

tomos · « **Reply #9 on:** March 31, 2011, 03:45 AM »

I don't condone him doing that, but looks like to me the parrot would fly away if it wasn't enjoying the ride because the parrot doesn't look like is attached to anything.
-hamradio (March 31, 2011, 12:39 AM)

I think the parrots wings have been clipped. Not 100% sure, but it would make sense.
-Renegade (March 31, 2011, 01:16 AM)

at 2:48 the presenter says "the bird's wings are missing" - sounds pretty extreme, maybe he just means clipped..

Renegade · « **Reply #10 on:** March 31, 2011, 03:53 AM »

[Disclaimer: I'm also a hypocrite as I don't like cruelty to animals (who would) but I'm more than happy for them to be slaughtered for my dinner plate. I am far to lazy to become vegetarian - and also like the taste of meat.]

Without fully understanding parrot psychology, it looks like the parrot isn't too distressed by the ride (and may be enjoying it):

1) Even if its wings are clipped, it doesn't appear to be stressed when perched on the wiper when the car is stationary. Assuming the parrot can remember the last high speed journey it made, riding the wiper, I'd expect it to jump off the wiper when the car is stationary - why would any animal stay in a location it considered stressful.

2) Anyone seen a dog stick its head out of a speeding car open window? The appear to love doing it. Why shouldn't a parrot be the same, why is there always an automatic assumption that the animal is in distress, the parrot might be absolutely thrilled by the speed.

3) The "expert" woman says that the parrot is clearly in distress because it doesn't move about on the wiper. Well, you wouldn't move about on the wiper when travelling at high speed because you want to keep your shape aerodynamic - the parrot has plenty of opportunity to jump off the wiper when the car is moving slower, and as we see at the end, the parrot gets, accidently, thrown of the wiper. It doesn't make a quick escape, instead it just stands there waiting for another ride.

4) If the parrot really hated the experience, wouldn't it be attacking it's owner to demonstrate how it felt. Instead I see quite a happy parrot with its owner.

5) The guy might not come across as that smart, but he seems to love his parrot. I think he'd realise if the parrot didn't seem happy about the whole thing. I doubt that one day he decided it was a good idea to take his parrot on a 60mph test drive - maybe a slow driver around the block for starters, and then faster runs as they progressed.
-nudone (March 31, 2011, 03:16 AM)

Makes perfect sense.

Hey! It's a PARROT! They can talk! Why doesn't someone just ask it~!

mouser · « **Reply #11 on:** March 31, 2011, 04:17 AM »

but back to serious discussion -- i think if his wings are clipped/missing, the arguement about him just jumping off might be null and void -- it may not be something he could do so easily right?

4wd · « **Reply #12 on:** March 31, 2011, 04:35 AM »

....why would any animal stay in a location it considered stressful.
-nudone (March 31, 2011, 03:16 AM)

Superglue

or a nailgun.

Renegade · « **Reply #13 on:** March 31, 2011, 04:56 AM »

....why would any animal stay in a location it considered stressful.
-nudone (March 31, 2011, 03:16 AM)

Superglue

or a nailgun.
-4wd (March 31, 2011, 04:35 AM)

BWAHAHAHAHAA~!

Oh man... that was bordering on pee my pants funny~!

nudone · « **Reply #14 on:** March 31, 2011, 06:13 AM »

i think the simple solution is this:

with some of the recent DC donations, we buy a parrot of our own (maybe a white one, with suitable name beginning with C), then with some of the other donations, mouser buys a nice car specifically for the purpose of testing whether the parrot enjoys high speed wiper blade rides.

i don't think the wings will need to be clipped - instead the bird could wear the smart jacket that was made for Baby Cody.

mrainey · « **Reply #15 on:** March 31, 2011, 09:39 AM »

Even with clipped wings, the bird could flap it's way off the car if it wanted to. I don't see any particular signs of distress in its behavior, but do think the owner isn't hitting on all eight cylinders.

CWuestefeld · « **Reply #16 on:** March 31, 2011, 11:38 AM »

Doesn't a bird normally experience high-velocity wind in its normal life in the wild? I don't know the speeds at which this kind parrot typically flies, but in the avian kindgom, birds flying at speeds equivalent to a car's highway speeds is pretty normal. Peregrine falcons dive at speeds over 200mph.

So I'm having trouble understanding how that bird would be either uncomfortable or scared.

tomos · « **Reply #17 on:** March 31, 2011, 04:21 PM »

Doesn't a bird normally experience high-velocity wind in its normal life in the wild? I don't know the speeds at which this kind parrot typically flies, but in the avian kindgom, birds flying at speeds equivalent to a car's highway speeds is pretty normal. Peregrine falcons dive at speeds over 200mph.
-CWuestefeld (March 31, 2011, 11:38 AM)

It an interesting one -
I dont know how fast birds fly - but the ones that dive are built for it, and a parrot is not one of them!

now that I look - http://www.stanford....essays/How_Fast.html

Generally birds follow the facetious advice often given to pilots -- "fly low and slow." Most cruise speeds are in the 20-to-30-mph range, with an eider duck having the fastest accurately clocked air speed of about 47 mph. During a chase, however, speeds increase; ducks, for example, can fly 60 mph or even faster

which (60m) isn't too far off of 100km, so sounds like you correct...

CWuestefeld · « **Reply #18 on:** March 31, 2011, 04:31 PM »

....why would any animal stay in a location it considered stressful.
-nudone (March 31, 2011, 03:16 AM)

... a nailgun.
-4wd (March 31, 2011, 04:35 AM)

Look, I took the liberty of examining that parrot when I got it home, and I discovered the only reason that it had been sitting on its perch in the first place was that it had been NAILED there.

wraith808 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 31, 2011, 06:30 PM »

i can't disagree with anything nudone says -- which is why i started off my comment saying that i really don't know if the parrot was scared. hey he's a bird it's possible he loved it. but it's hard to know.

my comment was focused on the fact that the owner doesn't seem particularly interested in whether the bird is terrified or not, which is the red flag for me.

if he was sitting there saying: "i love my bird and i'm convinced he loves the ride" -- i wouldn't have a complaint.
-mouser (March 31, 2011, 03:22 AM)

He does say that since the birds wings have been clipped and won't be able to feel the wind like it should if it was able to fly. He also mentions the parrot's happiness a few times... so I think he does sort of address it...

40hz · « **Reply #20 on:** March 31, 2011, 07:05 PM »

We have an 'infestation' of Monk Parakeets where I live. (Full story courtesy of the CT Audubon Society can be found here if anybody's interested.)

Big (12") birds! Electric green with unbelievably blue wingtips. Gorgeous creatures.

Looks much like what's on that guy's windshield.

Three comments:

1. Large parrots like this one usually have to have their wings clipped if they're to be kept as pets. This is done to help prevent the bird injuring itself when indoors. It doesn't cause any harm or distress to the bird. (This is according to my friend Penny, who is a licensed animal rescuer, used to work for Audobon, has a degree in this stuff, and owns parrots.)

2. I won't comment on the advisability of letting your parrot cling to a windshield wiper while driving. However, high winds don't seem to bother these guys all that much. When hurricane Gloria slammed into CT in 1985, there were bird carcasses all over the place when it was over.

But the big colony of monk parakeets in a tree at the top of my GF's street was intact with nary a casualty in sight. Watching out the window we could see these guys hunkered down and holding on in Category 3 through Category=1 winds that took down several trees plus all the power lines on her street.

3. From my own personal experiences with my friend Penny's parrots, I have to agree with nudone. If you do something to piss a parrot off, you'll know about it in short order. And they also seem to nurse grudges and figure ways to get some payback if you really upset them. So if that guy is able to get near that bird afterwards, I doubt it is upset about what went down. Knowing how crazy some parrots are, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this bird enjoyed it.

Renegade · « **Reply #21 on:** March 31, 2011, 07:09 PM »

I get those birds outside in the trees sometimes. They're en masse when they're there. It's so nice to have wildlife around like that.

Not something I got in Seoul...

40hz · « **Reply #22 on:** March 31, 2011, 07:15 PM »

^They do get a little loud at times.

But other than that minor niggle, I think they're great.

40hz · « **Reply #23 on:** March 31, 2011, 07:19 PM »

I think Cody may need a friend when he gets back from his world tour.

Maybe a big green parrot named Syntax?

wraith808 · « **Reply #24 on:** March 31, 2011, 08:48 PM »

^ This! WIN!