The Parrot Who Owns Me: The Story of a Relationship
When celebrated ornithologist Joanna Burger brought home Tiko, a thirty-year-old parrot with a troubled past, she had no idea she was signing up for one of the most emotionally complicated relationships of her life. Tiko arrived withdrawn and prickly. What followed was a slow, tender transformation. He began courting her each mating season, kept a watchful eye over her during a serious illness, and at one point treated her husband as a genuine romantic rival. Over time, the two settled into something rare: a bond of real, earned trust between a human and a bird. Burger's account is part personal memoir, part scientific exploration. It's the story of Tiko, yes, but it's also a window into avian behaviour more broadly, with particular attention to parrots and what makes them such peculiar, compelling creatures. Burger draws on her own research throughout, and those passages carry genuine weight. Quietly woven into the narrative are bigger questions about what animals feel, how they communicate, and what their inner lives might actually look like. The book works because Burger never oversells her conclusions. She's a scientist first, and that restraint gives the more tender moments real credibility. It's a warm, thought-provoking read that leaves you looking at birds, and perhaps at yourself, a little differently.
- Author: Joanna Burger
- Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
- Genre: Pet Care & Training
- ISBN: 978-0375760259
- Pages: 272 pages