Choco Update

Amazingly enough – it’s been more than 2.5 years since I wrote a post about getting an African Grey Parrot named Choco. We got Choco while Elie was on base and I couldn’t wait to hear what he would say to the latest addition to the family.

Choco turned out to be a bit of a surprise to us and to the people who sold him to us. They gave us a really good price, partially because while Choco made some noise, he was largely quiet while on display in the pet store and I think the owners were happy to get rid of him in hopes of getting a bird that would attract more people.

If only they knew…

Within a short while, Choco proved that he’d been holding back. He makes more sounds than I can count – some of them at noise levels above what I want to admit. He talks – a lot. He has whole conversations in mumbled tones to himself when you cover his cage. And every once in a while, he yells out, “Shut up, Choco, shut up” in Hebrew.

Elie has had conversations with Choco – Choco will make some horrible noise. Elie will tell him “Shut up, Choco, shut up” in Hebrew. To which, Choco will yell out, “Shut up.” And then Elie will laugh…and then Choco will make the same hysterical laughing sounds.

If you are familiar with Jeff Dunham and “Achmed the Dead Terrorist” (see the video below…it’s really funny), Achmed often says, “Silence, I kill you.” When Choco starts making a lot of noise, Elie is now teaching him to say, “Silence, I kill you.”

(Warning: A bit politically incorrect and risqué near the end.)

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uwOL4rB-go)

9 Comments

  1. Years ago, for a while, I lived in a home that had a very talkative African Grey and I gotta say I enjoyed it but it was an interesting experience at times – I didn’t always know if there were others in the house or if the bird was talking to itself – it took some getting used to but when I moved out I kind of missed it;)

  2. George – I like the way you think. I can ask Elie to try it – but the “Silence, I kill you” is also funny.

    Yes – we enjoy Choco’s mumblings, though I have to admit his “ringing” the telephone sound followed by his loud “Allo” on Shabbat has caused some confusion among our neighbors. As Orthodox Jews, we don’t answer the phone on Shabbat and since everyone knows this, we rarely get phone calls – except Choco who insists on ringing and answering all the time. Some people who walk by have asked, “Oh, do you answer the phone on Shabbat?” – and so we answer, no, but our bird does…he also makes the sound – and then we explain.

  3. My step-dog used to bark constantly and my step-son one day just couldn’t take it anymore and said, “Silence, I kill you.” Didn’t work. Step-dog is no longer, but he went gently (but not quietly) into the night on his own.

    May Choco’s squawking be the noisiest part of your day…

  4. My step-dog used to bark constantly and my step-son one day just couldn’t take it anymore and said, “Silence, I kill you.” Didn’t work. Step-dog is no longer, but he went gently (but not quietly) into the night on his own.

    May Choco’s squawking be the noisiest part of your day…

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