Charlie (parrot)
Charlie, also known as Charlie the Curser was a female blue-and-yellow macaw who lived for decades in a garden centre in Reigate, Surrey, England.[1]
| Species | Blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna) |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Hatched | before 1965 England |
| Training | English words |
| Owner | Heathfield Nurseries, Reigate |
Claimed association with Churchill
The owner claimed the parrot was that of Sir Winston Churchill while he was prime minister during World War II. He claims that his father-in-law sold the parrot to Churchill in 1937 and then reclaimed the bird shortly after Churchill's death in 1965. According to his stories, the vocal bird was taught by Churchill to shout curses at Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.[2]
The claim is solidly rejected by the administrators of the Chartwell property, Churchill's former country home, who only note he kept a grey parrot elsewhere. Further, Churchill's daughter, Lady Soames, has denied her father ever owned a macaw. She added he owned a grey parrot named Polly, but sold the bird before becoming Prime Minister.[2]
Notes
- "'Hello': Having a chat with Churchill's parrot and - at 114-years-old - one of Reigate's oldest residents". Surrey Mirror.
- "Daughter scotches Churchill parrot claim," BBC News. 21 January 2004.
References
- Hoffman, Bill. "Churchill's parrot still squawking at 104," New York Post. January 20, 2009, p. 7.
- "In A Flap Over 'Churchill's' Old Bird," Sky News. 20 January 2004.
- Lyall, Sarah. "Reigate Journal; Parrot May Have Been Churchill's, but She's Not Saying," 'New York Times. March 9, 2004.
- "Winston's obscene parrot lives on," BBC News. 19 February 2004.
- Winston Churchill's Parrot – 2010 video on YouTube