This just in from my brother Ken Lager in Boston - who always celebrates the July 3rd Pops concert….
“July 4 Birthdays: America at 233, and Parrot Beautiful Yaffa at 23″
Amazon green parrot “Beautiful Yaffa” again joined Boston’s July 4 Birthday Party Celebration, generating smiles, uplifting spirits, and entertaining as part of the parrot’s continuing mission to spread love and peace in the universe.
According to Ken Lager, a 24/7 companion fulltime for the past six years, the Amazon green parrots are known for their personality and intelligence. They have the intelligence of at least a several year old child, and require much attention and love while forming deep bonds and long term relationships.
The yellow-naped AmazonYaffa is an exceptionally friendly, gentle, affectionate , and intelligent parrot with an amazing personality that Ken has known almost eleven years.
Beautiful Yaffa became a very popular service animal, trained by Ken to be in service to any one disabled or handicapped. This is to the delight and benefit of all she meets. Veterinarian Greg Mertz has certified this potty-trained parrot to be healthy and well behaved, as any service animal must be. As a service animal and by popular request, she delights children of all ages, visits churches, seniors, and senior centers, and those in need. Yaffa loves to socialize at crowds, musical and other events, and conferences.
Yaffa, as she(he) knew her name growing up, intelligently communicates musically, verbally, and with gestures. She verbally uses appropriately several dozen favorite expressions. She is musically delightful as she whistles, calls, flirts, and shares laughter. She climbs with agility, using two claws and a hooked beak, and can whistle at the same time she uses her beak to climb. She is an intelligent problem solver. Although she does not fly, she rides the Boston ”T”, is an experienced coast to coast air traveler, and loves to ride in a car.
Beautiful Yaffa is involved in a research program involving music, the improvement of human personality, human development, and human perception, communication, and behavior, and overcoming learning and other disabilities.
During the fireworks celebration following the concert, Beautiful Yaffa was sharing one on one with those at the concert in the disability section near the stage. Accompanied by the beautiful music and sounds of the fireworks, which were largely visually obscured by trees, the delight and smiles of all those encountered were clearly visible. After the fireworks, the parrot was also in the vicinity of the closing shot with Keith Lockhart, Niel Diamond, and others, including a few of the children celebrating America’s birthday.”