There’s a bird in The Bird House with whom I converse whenever I visit the zoo.
It is one of the Hornbills and over its beak it seems to have grown a kazoo.
It is next to the toucan not quite by the door, and each time I see it I squawk.
In response every time it squawks right back at me, as if it is trying to talk.
We stood under the toucan, just one bird away. My husband then waved at the bough.
“Here’s that bird that you talk to. This toucan right here,” he said, just a smidgen too loud.
I could tell that a stranger was listening nearby. “My bird’s not the toucan,” I sighed.
I then stepped to the right and I SQUAWKED at my bird, who SQUAWKED in return in reply.
Though the stranger’s reaction was one of surprise, I exited without a word.
True, I scored many cool points but I must confess, I wished I could high-five my bird.
11 responses to “Zoo Part 3: Bird”
Ellen left off the truly remarkable thing. We haven’t been to see that bird for 5 years. I tried to get it to talk and got nothing. Ellen tipped her head back and let out a loud Caw! The bird eyed her for a moment up and down and responded with an almost identical Caw! It was spooky.
Ha! Brilliantly told.
You need to expand this enthusiastic thread to all of Forest Park, which is a platinum gem to Saint Louis – so many attractions – all free admission – and SO BEAUTIFUL!
I love Forest Park and everything in it.
We love our small zoo in Hilo, Hawaii. We just got a pair of young tigers who could not be happier in their new home.
Gary Schmidt – five years is not so long to a bird.
Lynn – did you notice it rhymes? Gary didn’t notice it was a poem.
Surveymarc – we took a segue tour once, and it amazed us that we saw parts of the park I had never seen.
Hattie – our tiger is old and seems pretty arrogant.
Sounds like he might be the patriarch Missouri Tiger….
Surveymarc- I have no loyalty to Mizzou, so tiger slams will not get a rise out of me.
But you must admit they play a little on the association between the two with signage on Tiger pen cage.
Surveymarc – do they? I didn’t notice the sign. Is he named Mizzou? Ha! Miz-zoo. That would be funny.
http://www.stlzoo.org/about/contact/pressroom/pressreleases/mizzou-tigers-for-tigers/
Surveymarc – that is awesome.