Reply #8: Yep, our African Grey eats nearly everything we do

[nolabear]

and believe you me, we hear about it when she doesn't get her bit! Her name's "Pidge" becasue she's pigeon grey, but we like to refer to her as "The Toll Bird," since she charges a toll every time you walk by her with food.

She's just stunningly intelligent, btw. I grew up with a grandfather who loved and kept birds, and we've had several over the years. She's far smarter than the dogs, and has a wicked sense of humor. She's also got a great understanding of what she's saying, certainly in the sense of making connections between things. She has been with us through a couple of dogs and cats (as we've had kids who have left home and taken them, and old dogs) and she clearly knows who's who and calls them by either our name or her name (associated with a sound they make). Since we live in the city she can also do several car alarms, a city bus, and a 500 lb. sparrow (she's loud). When our oldest son was home she would crack us up by making the sound of a phone ringing, then saying "Hello?" and calling out "Justin!" He got a lot of calls.

If I had to count all her sounds and words I'm sure it would easily equal 1.8 million, but I am a little biased. ;-)