why do people say "bird brain" ? Birds are smart!

jenb, your crow story reminds me of another about my Quaker. By the way, I love crows! They're super cool and smart and can be great mimics from other stories I've read about them. Anyway, my Quaker, who most definitely KNOWS what she's saying and uses everything in the proper context for each situation (usually), understands the concept of saying "sorry." Quakers are all very nippy, mine is no exception, though she's (she's really a male, but I always refer to him as "she") much friendlier than any typical Quaker. When she bites she'll usually say she's sorry, unless she really isn't. My mom didn't take her out of the cage at the gallery fast enough, ignored her too long, so when mom finally did get her, she got a nasty bite, drawing blood. Mother kept insisting the bird say she was sorry, but Picasso refused. She did the cocky Quaker strut, shook some toys, slammed her cage door back & forth, would only say, "You're a bad bird. No biting!", then laugh and strut around some more. She absolutely refused to say she was sorry because we all knew she felt justified in biting mom! LOL