My friend Clint went to Texas for a few days and needed someone to watch his parrot, name of Chiapas. I volunteered.

Chiapas and I hit it off right away. Within minutes of meeting him, he perched on my shoulder, grooming my scalp. As I write this, he's there again, nibbling my ear. Friendly little thing.

Paul Latoures, photographer extraordinaire (known to some of you as El Guapo), took this picture of me and my avian charge.

My expression reflects my reaction to Chiapas having just pooped on my shirt. (Can't complain: I don't think you can housebreak birds.)

Parrots make wonderful pets. They're affectionate, playful and intelligent. In many ways, they're more interesting than dogs or cats. For example, they're moody. At the moment, Chiapas is sulking, because I brought him back from our walk in the park too soon. In his opinion. Brat.

Chiapas is a little grouchy in the morning. I give him a half hour after he wakes up to pull himself together while I fix breakfast. I share a corner of toast with him, and he helps himself to my coffee.

By late morning, his sunny personality is in gear. He wanders around the house, climbs on his cage and a nearby hammock, and rides around on my shoulder. He eats more than I expected: sunflower seeds, fruit, lettuce, crackers and granola bars. He's much more civil with me after I feed him.

And of course, best of all: Parrots talk. At this point, Chiapas knows one word. (Well, he's only a year old. I don't know many humans who can talk at that age.) His one word is in Nahuatl. I don't know what it means. Probably "Eat my shorts, Spanish devil."

Chiapas is a Yellow-headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix) and proud of it. His race has been kept as pets by Aztec kings. He treats me like a servant.

The popularity of Yellow-heads has contributed to their becoming an endangered species in the wild, as has destruction of the wild itself. An estimated 7,000 still live free. Today, trade in parrots is legal only for birds born in captivity, in an attempt to preserve the wild flock. Almost all of the parrots you see come from breeders, as does Chiapas. Hand-fed as a chick, he bonds easily with people.

Well, that's enough for today. Now I'm gonna go play with my parrot.