Parrot Imitation - reflection or meaningless?

I used to think that what parrots say sometimes are a strange reflection of their environments. Any time my partner and I get into a disagreement, I move us into another room, away from Cairo or I put Cairo in his cage in another room. I also actively try to make sure people only speak to Cairo in a positive way (with the exception of "no bite/chew/go").

For me, I was delighted that, after "hello", his next word he learned was laughter. Cairo don't pick up words we actively try to teach him - he picks up whatever he wants. And I've been a bit sad that he started saying "Step Up" as a negative phrase from my partner (when Cairo bites my partner, my partner gets flustered and forgets protocol, which means he often shouts "ouch" then I remind him to say "no bite" and to put Cairo away for a few minutes time-out, which then means my partner tells Cairo to 'step up' to go to time-out.... trust me, I'm working on the partner bit, but he has a tricky relationship with Cairo).


Today, I saw this video on Facebook, and it really struck conflicting feelings in me.

https://www.facebook.com/LalyDu/posts/10216750644751645

If you think about it (going back to the kid analogy) they kind of are. You can often tell a ton about a child's home environment just by looking at the things a kid says, does, prefers etc. I imagine that seeing people fight probably causes a bit of anxiety in parrots (as it does in children) since they are so good at picking up subtle changes in "mood" etc.

The Facebook post.......I don't know where that was shot, but it looks like the person at the end of the clip probably cares about that bird but has very few resources. I am also guessing that there is little-to-no education/awareness with regard to "best practices" in parrot care (either due to prevailing cultural influences or family norms). I am sure that family sees nothing wrong with that situation....in part, because it looks like they are living in less-than-ideal conditions themselves. Seeing it from an outside perspective, there are more than a few concerning details (but I also acknowledge that my perspective is influenced by my cultural experiences etc)...On a lighter note, at least the bird seems to be healthy and included in the daily goings-on. Based on that clip alone, it's hard to know what kind of a life that bird has compared to those kept as pets in more affluent areas. Obviously there are some major safety hazards and lacking resources, but at least he isn't locked up lol. It makes me nervous/concerned nevertheless.

I once watched a documentary about orangutans and a family had one in a cage as a pet in Bornio. The "pet" was confiscated, and taken to a sanctuary (as keeping them as pets is not allowed and the conditions were poor). It was so wrong, but at the same time, it's "owners" were very upset to see it go etc. It is interesting....People can "love" animals without having any clue that they are harming them (or even abusing/neglecting them)...The same is true of children (many terrible parents still love their kids). It's a strange contradiction of sorts...Then it gets even more complicated when you think about the fact that bonds can sometimes trump people's (and animals) desire for healthier living conditions...but that's another "ball of wax"....

One can never tell what a parrot will pick to say, regardless of species. SOme Grays will say tons of things, and some will mostly just do sounds (like the doorbell or phone). Salty says a bunch of stuff, of which only 3 things we actively tried teaching him. His wild maniac laugh and singing "Little Brown Jug" and the operatic piece from the Flight of the Valkyries ( compliments to YouTube and Mernino, who sings it perfectly). Everything else Salty says is just from normal conversation he hears. I think he gets his cookies off by calling for our dog Tinker, and telling her "Good puppy" when she ambles into the room. And then laughing at her.

You just can't tell what will interest a parrot enough for him to try and imitate. And that's part of the charm of them, I think.