Lost English parrot returns home speaking fluent Spanish; says "Buenos días"

Pets often become more than just animals living in our homes, they are more like cherished companions who share our lives and bring us comfort during tough times. Their special behaviour and abilities sometimes surprise us, especially when they connect deeply with people over time.Stories of such a pet going missing and being found later bring joy upon reunion. One story is about an African grey parrot that lived an extraordinary journey and left the owners surprised with its extraordinary capabilities when it returned home after many years.

British-owned parrot Nigel spoke Spanish on return

Nigel, an African grey parrot, reunited with his original owner after being missing for four years, but his story is unusual because of how much he changed during that time.

Originally living with Darren Chick, a British man from Torrance, California, Nigel used to speak English with a British accent, reflecting his owner’s background. However, when Nigel was found, he was speaking Spanish and greeting a different family with “Buenos días.

”The parrot had apparently spent the missing years with a family in Torrance who had named him Morgan after the rum brand featuring a parrot. As reported by the Torrance Daily Breeze, the bird had learned Spanish from their Guatemalan-born grandfather, Rubén Hernández.

According to the newspaper, Rubén affectionately said, “Loro macho, Loro macho” to the bird during a visit to the Redondo Beach veterinarian who discovered Nigel and helped locate Chick using the bird’s microchip.

Chick, the original owner, was overwhelmed with emotion when Nigel was returned. He wept tears of joy and was deeply happy to see his beloved pet again. Despite this, Chick made the decision to leave Nigel with the Torrance family who had cared for the bird after it went missing.

Parrot learnt to mimic dog barks and truck beeps

Liza Smith, a family member, told the Daily Breeze that Morgan had become very special to her grandfather, especially since he lost his wife two years ago. “The parrot ‘is one of the last mementoes for my grandpa,’” she wrote via email. She also explained how Morgan had learned to mimic the family’s three dogs, bark like them, imitate the beeps of an early trash truck, and even sing the opening notes of the movie theme “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

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Smith shared the deep bond they all had with Morgan and the pain they felt when he flew away recently. “We’re just over the moon,” she said, reflecting their joy at being reunited with the bird, even as they respected Chick’s kindness in entrusting Morgan back to them.