My little mimic, Burt

[Sarasota]

Here's a cute story.

 

I'm having some construction done at my house, and last Friday I noticed the smoke alarm was disconnected. I had my suspicions, but waited to speak to the contractor this morning.

 

The workers were worried because the smoke alarm kept going off. They tested the battery, looked for any carbon monoxide problems - all looked OK. Finally, they simply disconnected it. A few minutes later...it went off again.

 

It was my TAG, Burt, imitating the alarm.

 

The contractor told me that Burt constantly mimics the house alarm, power tools, the sound of a hammer, etc. They whistle to him all day and are shocked when he whistles back the exact same tune.

 

That's my boy!

[CLB]

I LOVE it!

[Timbersmom]

Funny! That's a good one. May have some prospective bird owners there.

[Ray P]

Leave it to a grey to test intelligence of your contractors workers.

Who mimics who ?

[judygram]

At least Burt is keeping them entertained while they go about their business, they are keeping each other company with their calls and whistles, Burt is gonna miss them when they are finished with their work.

[Sarasota]

At least Burt is keeping them entertained while they go about their business, they are keeping each other company with their calls and whistles, Burt is gonna miss them when they are finished with their work.

 

It's so good for Burt. He has a strange fear of hand tools. If he sees a hammer or screwdriver, he panics. Now he's been seeing them for weeks, and the workers are very friendly with the birds, but keep a respectable distance. I think he's finally connected that hand tools are necessarily scary things.

[murfchck]

That is too funny. I love hearing when people are outsmarted by a bird!

[FirstPenguin]

Very funny. I live near major city construction that will be going on for years. I'm pretty sure my Senegal is doing sounds reminiscent of the beeping and air horns she hears outside. They even are using explosives underground. You hear an air horn feel the building vibrate a second and then another air horn. Imagine if Burt heard that, sounds like you'd never hear the end of it. I get a Congo soon, by my luck something construction related will be the first thing he mimics.