pirates
Cotton's Parrot.

Cotton's Parrot.

"DON'T EAT ME!"
"Look, you're nothing but feathers and bones and you probably taste like pigeon. Sorry. That was uncalled for. Listen...if anyone should ask, tell them Will Turner went into the jungle in search of Jack Sparrow. Understand? I'm talking to a parrot."
"Aye, aye, sir!"
―Cotton's Parrot and Will Turner[src]

Parrots were birds with a strong curved beak, upright stance, and clawed feet. They had a generally pantropical distribution with several species inhabiting the temperate regions, found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions in both the Old World and the New World. The greatest diversity of parrots was in South America, Australia, New Guinea and surrounding islands. They formed the most variably sized bird order in terms of length; many are vividly coloured and some, multi-coloured. Parrots—along with crows and ravens—were among the most intelligent birds, and the ability of some species to imitate human speech enhanced their popularity as pets.

History

During the Golden Age of Piracy, parrots served as pets, mainly for pirates in the Caribbean region, with "Polly" being the common English name for a parrot.[1] A sailor named Mr. Bleek owned a parrot named Bartholomew.[2] Captain Hector Barbossa once had a male parrot named Polly, described by Barbossa as a fine bird, but always messed up the shoulder of his jacket. At some point, Barbossa lost Polly the parrot and began owning a female monkey named Polly prior to Barbossa's ship Cobra being attacked and sunk by rogue pirates.[1]

At some point prior to the end of the ten-year quest by Jack Sparrow to reclaim the Black Pearl from Hector Barbossa, who was also trying to lift the Aztec curse with his crew, an older pirate named Cotton had a parrot known only as "Cotton's Parrot" as a pet. After a group of pirates at an auction in Shipwreck City witnessed Mungard having shot the Pirate Code book, Mungard threatened that he would cut the tongue of anyone who spoke of this, with Cotton and his parrot both saying, "Mum's the word."[3] However, by the time Jack Sparrow and Will Turner recruited a crew for the Interceptor with Joshamee Gibbs in Tortuga, Cotton had gotten his tongue cut out, became a mute, and trained the parrot to talk for him, though Gibbs said no one figured out how.[4][5] Cotton and his parrot would continue sailing with Captain Sparrow aboard the Interceptor until Sparrow retrieved the Black Pearl,[5] all the way through the search for the Dead Man's Chest,[6] the Fourth Brethren Court, and the final battle in the war against Lord Cutler Beckett and the East India Trading Company.[7] Although both Cotton and his parrot were known to have left Sparrow and began sailing with Captain Barbossa aboard the Black Pearl,[7] only Cotton's Parrot was seen in the Black Pearl ship-in-a-bottle.[8]

By 1751, at least one blue-and-yellow macaw was seen caged during the bank heist in Saint Martin.[9]

Notable parrots

Behind the scenes

A parrot perched next to a buccaneer in Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean.
Barker Bird or Peg-Leg Pete, a parrot originating in the Magic Kingdom, featured in an artist concept in Destination D23.

Parrots first appeared in Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean in 1967, with one parrot perching next to a buccaneer clutching a jug of rum sits stop the bridge, one hairy leg dangling above guests' heads, with the parrot mimicking his incoherent companion as he giggles and sings.[10] Parrots were first identified by name in the 1996 book Climb Aboard If You Dare!: Stories From The Pirates of the Caribbean,[2] as well as the 2003 junior novelization for the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.[4][5]

An audio-animatronic character commonly known as the Barker Bird or Peg-Leg Pete was a green parrot in a pirate hat, sporting a peg leg and a tattoo of an anchor on his feathered chest, who greeted guests as they approach El Castillo, the attraction's marquee at Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom. This "barker bird," much like a similar avian spokesman at The Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland in its early years, "sells" the show to passing guests, setting the stage for the adventure to come. As such, the barker bird of Pirates of the Caribbean tells guests point blank that the old fortress is home to a swashbuckling adventure.[11] By 2006, the barker bird was removed during the reimagining of the ride that added Captain Jack Sparrow and other elements from the film franchise.[12] In 2023, an artist concept featuring a peg-legged parrot was shown during Destination D23, where the character's return in a new Pirates-themed tavern coming to Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom was announced.[13][14] By May 6, 2025, the Barker Bird named Rummy was confirmed for The Beak and Barrel.[15][16]

In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio screenplay draft of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, before finding Jack Sparrow in Cannibal Island, Will Turner heard from an officer standing watch on a ship that Jack escaped by fighting off a hundred soldiers at Port Royal and grabbing two parrots and flying off a cliff.[17] The scene never made it to the final cut of the film,[6] but was further mentioned in the DVD commentary with Elliott and Rossio.[18]

In LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, when young Elizabeth Swann examines Will Turner aboard the Dauntless, he looks like a stereotypical pirate with an eyepatch, a hook, and a parrot. When Elizabeth takes Will's medallion, the parrot squawks at her, so she punches it and it flies away towards the Black Pearl.[19] On July 20, 2024, the official Facebook page for Fortnite shared some tips, including "Adopt a Parrot (Or a Kraken)" for their "Cursed Sails" pass.[20]

Appearances

Sources

External links

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Price of Freedom, Chapter Two: Lady Esmeralda
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Climb Aboard If You Dare!: Stories From The Pirates of the Caribbean, p. 29
  3. ↑ Tales of the Code: Wedlocked
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003 junior novelization), pp. 61-62
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
  8. ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
  9. ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
  10. ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies, p. 102
  11. ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies, p. 70
  12. ↑ New Pirates of the Caribbean Lounge Coming to Magic Kingdom
  13. ↑ New Country Bear Disney Songs, Pirates Lounge, Hatbox Ghost Coming to Magic Kingdom - Disney Parks Blog
  14. ↑ Disney Parks Unveils Future Projects, Surprises at Destination D23 - Disney Parks Blog
  15. ↑ The Beak and Barrel: New Details from the Pirates of the Caribbean Tavern - Disney Parks Blog
  16. ↑ The Beak and Barrel | Walt Disney World Resort
  17. ↑ Wordplayer.com: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio
  18. ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Audio Commentary with Screenwriters Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio
  19. ↑ LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
  20. ↑ Fortnite - Yo Ho, the pirate life is not easy to achieve. But... | Facebook