Not a parrot, but...

[Birdman666]

Yup - I had chills running up & down my spine almost the entire time. I just couldn't believe what was happening! If we didn't have pics (actually, quite a few - my wife kinda went nuts with her camera) and a witness, I would have thought it was just a dream.

What really amazed me is that he was so...blase...about the whole thing, like it happens all the time! If it weren't for the fact that he wasn't banded (and all wild bird programs in the area include closed-banding of ALL captured raptors) I would have thought that he had been handled & released.

He showed no fear (or even concern) at all, just content at receiving attention.

Well, wild bird programs maybe. But most wild bird programs are tag and release. This one may have been arm trained. There are people that catch them, train them, and hunt them just like falcons. I'm wondering if at some point in his life he was one of those... it just doesn't seem like normal owl behavior to get THAT close, or to respond to an arm signal.

The arm signal is the kicker... a completely wild bird wouldn't even know what that was.

It's fascinating stuff though. I'd definitely be trying to borrow a glove from someone... I'd have to try!

How often do THOSE kinds of opportunities come along?!

A glove, and a dead rat?!