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

Haha, love the story about your Quaker, laurasav!

I volunteer at a wildlife rehab, and we have a mostly blind old crow there who's a permanent resident. She can cluck like a chicken, say "lalalala," and do a perfect imitation of a human laugh. A couple weeks ago, she was being a brat and kept jumping on my arm while I was trying to change her cage papers. When I tried to get her to step down, she bit me, and then threw back her head and laughed. I swear she knew exactly what she was doing!

My cockatiel tries to talk, but he can't quite make out the words. Still, he knows how to tell me what he wants through body language. For example, the pic in my avatar is how he asks for millet. (He does that pose a lot).