Colorful plumage isn’t all this New York bird has to offer.
His language is also pretty colorful and definitely not suitable for children, according to the animal shelter trying to find him a new home.
Pepper, a white-fronted amazon, was picked up by the Niagara SPCA Friday from his former home in Lockport, New York, about 31 miles northeast of Buffalo.
The shelter that has him in custody wants to find him a forever home that can handle his…ahem…needs.
Calling the bird a “potty-mouthed parrot,” the Niagara SPCA shared on Facebook Saturday morning that those seriously interested in adopting him next week must be able to handle his foul mouth.
“Bringing home a cursing conure might seem like a fun idea until Pepper offends grandma's Tuesday night knitting group,” the shelter wrote. “On the bright side, if you want to keep unannounced company from dropping in, adopt Pepper. They'll think twice after being cussed out by your new foul-mouthed feathered friend.”
Amy Lewis, the executive director of the shelter, told USA TODAY Pepper previously lived with a dog that was somewhat unruly. Lewis said the dog didn’t listen to his owner much, so the owner would ask “Do you want me to kick your (expletive)?”
And now Pepper has picked up the phrase.
In addition to finding a home for Pepper, the shelter is also trying to rehome six parakeets. Their previous owner, an older woman, has to move out of state to care for her daughter, who is sick. She contacted the Niagara SPCA so she could surrender her birds, as well as an 11-year-old pomeranian.
Lewis, director of the shelter, said Pepper is likely under five years old. Lewis manages the shelter’s social media channels and when Pepper was picked up, she knew she had to post about him.
“I pick a personality trait and I kind of run with it,” Lewis told USA TODAY on Tuesday. “With Pepper it was his potty mouth. That kind of tickled me and I thought it was kind of fun.”
Since posting about him Saturday morning, they’ve received more than 300 inquiries. His next owner needs to have experience with birds, she told USA TODAY. They want Pepper’s next home to be his last home since he has already had two previous owners.
Pepper’s next owner should be:
“These guys require a lot of time,” Lewis said. “They're not really caged animals. They like to interact with their people. They need regular enrichment.”
Amazon parrots can live more than 30 years, according to the Lafayette Companion Animal Hospital.
One of the biggest challenges of owning an amazon parrot is the fact that they can be prone to boredom, Lewis said. Boredom can lead to plucking their feathers and becoming very loud if they don’t get the attention they need.
The Niagara SPCA said workers will respond to those inquiring about Pepper next week. They’ll likely do a home visit as well before his adoption is approved.
Birds like him typically aren’t super social with people who aren’t their owners. His next owner will definitely have to work with him if they want him to get comfortable being handled or held, she said.
“He has taken a couple of snips at some staff here,” Lewis said. “I held up my arm this morning just to see if I could get him used to me being in his cage … He just took a little pinch. He's just kind of letting us know that he's not too comfortable.”
Other than that, the foul-mouthed parrot is doing pretty well, she said.
“He's eating,” she said. “He gets a lot of attention here. We've got about 30 staff members and everyone has been interacting with him.”
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].