The Parrot Who Owns Me: The Story of a Relationship by Joanna Burger

When I first picked up this book it was on a whim, since I've never had any interest in parrots. You've had that experience of reading the opening sentences of a book and then losing yourself in it, right there, standing in the bookstore. That's what happened.

So, in spite of the parrot, I decided to give it a try.

Burger's neighbor inherits a parrot when an older relative has to enter a nursing home. As it turns out, parrots can live to be eighty years old (who knew?), so it is common for them to become orphaned in this way. The new owner doesn't have a clue about the creature and leaves him in a smallish cage in a dull room. But Burger understands how depressed and heart-broken the fellow is. Eventually, Burger is asked to take him off of her neighbor's hands.

What follows is the story of her relationship with Tiko, who is allowed to fly freely around the home that Burger and her husband open to him. Eventually, Tiko decides that she is his mate, her husband's presence notwithstanding.

Because Burger is an ornithologist, this goes beyond a simple memoir. Fascinating information is woven seemlessly into the narrative alongside the retelling of her own stories both in the field and with individual birds she has known.

I have given away numerous copies of this memoir because it is so beautiful. If you have ever had a close relationship with an animal, any animal, you will relate to the author's story. This is a beautiful love story.