Submitted to Bird Talk Magazine

[Lisa B]

thought you all might get a kick out of this. I was contacted and asked about bird names, and how they came about.
After reading it, I hope you will post how your birds names came about!
Enjoy!



Hello Connie. I was forwarded your email from a friend.

I have been a long time subscriber of Bird Talk. I have been getting it since its creation. I have lived with birds for 30 years.

I have some interesting names, as well as some average names and stories behind them. Please feel free to use what you would like.



Sampson Bell

My most Famous bird, whom I wish was not for the reason I lost him,his struggle with Aspergillosis, was Sampson Bell. He has been mentioned in several magazines, and online sites because of the story behind him. He was a very loved African Grey Parrot. Sampson was a robust bird named for his size. When he was only seven weeks old, still a pinfeathered baby, the veterinarian had pronounced him larger than 95 percent of the African grey population.

Sampson was a gift to me during a very difficult time in my life. While in Florida visiting my critically ill nephew, Sampson came to live with me. While on the drive home to New Jersey, I stopped in the Nations Capitol to see DC. While there, I observed this bald little creature take the tears from the veterans’ faces as they stroked and loved this innocent baby bird. It was then I decided Sampson would make the perfect healing and teaching companion. Sampson and I volunteered at local schools, scout meetings, memorial services, and town functions, to educate the public on birds and proper care. We even visited the National Guard Aviation Unit, where they joked about making Sampson their mascot

Sampson’s middle name was Bell. This was for the helicopter manufacturer that his "pop-pop" maintained and flew with the Army in the Vietnam War, as he does to this day with the NJ National Guard. Where ever we went, Sampson would have a different outfit, weather it was just a red, white, and blue bandana for Guard events, or a Halloween costume for him to fit in with the other kids on Halloween. Since I do not have any biological children, Sampson was my son. His vocabulary was just starting to blossom. One of his favorite phrases was “handsome Sampson” or “Ham Sam” for short. Mine was “ my pop-pop can fly!!” Most of all I miss him calling me “mommy” and telling me He “loved mommy”, when I needed it most.



Sydney Bell

After the loss of Sampson Bell, came Sydney Bell, A congo African Grey Parrot. A much loved and needed baby to help heal my broken heart. Sydney being named after my favorite artist/singer, Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd, and some far away magical City that I someday hope to visit, Sydney, Australia. His middle name was after his departed brother, and the legacy of the Bell Helicopter that his daddy flies.

Stirling William

Stirling, a beautiful congo Grey, had been in my family for many years. When My father became ill with Dimencia, Stirling came to live with me. Stirlings name has been changed with the spelling because it was originally Sterling. However, the spelling has been changed to better fit and link him to A very famous castle in Scotland, Stirling Castle. Perhaps more than any other castle, Stirling represented Scotland's military resistance to English aggression in the Middle Ages. In the War of Independence it was constantly being attacked, its buildings destroyed and then rebuilt. In 1296, it was seized by Edward I of England. A year later, William Wallace recovered it but lost it again in 1298. In short, He who controlled Stirling Castle, effectively controlled Scotland.

Being a military family, and my husbands favorite movie being Braveheart, seem to be a great reason to give Stirling such a royal name.



Emma Lynn

Is a disabled Congo African grey, that needed a home. Miss Emma is the Daughter I never had. She is named After my grandmothers, Emmy & Amelia. Her middle name is after a dear friend, who while Sampson Bell was sick, offered to help raise funds to pay for his medical treatment. My Friend, Claudia Lynn Moss, is a very talented artist, and contacted me after my plea for the bird world to help me find some funding with Sampson. I had already spent nearly $7000.00 to help him. I did not know Claudia, and she did not know me. She painted a portrait to auction off on Ebay to help, but unfortuatly, Sampson Bell passed on just as the auction was being set up. Claudia then forwarded me the painting as a lasting memorial to my boy. I couldnt have thought of a more wonderful woman to honor with my baby girls middle name.



Harley

A double yellow headed Amazon. He was a rescue, and was already named. Harley does seem to be among the most favorite of bird names.



Ollie Foghorn

a White bellied Caique. Ollie had been fosterd by a person prior to him coming to stay with us. The foster parents called him Ollie. I have had a dog in the past named Ollie, and we really liked the name, so it stuck. Foghorn was his daddys original way of adding a name to his kid. Foghorn being his favorite cartoon character growing up.



Other parrots I have had over the years have been named:

Polly, Bacardi, Otis, Bubba, Madden, Thor, Trixie, Tweety, Dinky, Chirpy, Spike, Sydley, Nikki, Nicky, Cricket, Holly~berry,Puffalump, Bud, Travis, Bingo, Floyd 1, 2 &3 , Woodstock, Captain, Chloe, Kris, Ozzie, Doodles, & Dee.



I hope this has been of some help.

Also, who would I contact in Regards to a fundraiser being held in honor of Dr Branson Ritchie and PDD here in NJ? I am helping with this, and last time I hosted a fundraiser for Irene Pepperberg, I tried several ways to submit a blurb, with no success.

Sincerely, Lisa B