Clever: Mittu the parrot speaks in Urdu after growing up in Bradford
Mittu the parrot deserves congratulations – or as the African grey might say, ‘shabaash’.
The bilingual bird has developed an impressive vocabulary in both English and Urdu after being raised in a home where both are spoken.
As well as the likes of ‘who’s a pretty boy then’, the two-year-old has mastered the traditional Muslim greeting ‘asalaam alaykum’ and ‘bismillah’, the Urdu for ‘in the name of Allah’.
Owner Ghaffar Ahmed, 36, said: ‘He speaks Urdu and English. But he also barks like a dog and makes the noise of the refrigerator alarm, so he likes making all sorts of noises really.’
Mittu lives with Mr Ahmed’s family in Stourbridge, West Midlands. This year a study found that African greys are capable of the same level of intelligent reasoning as a four-year-old child.
Mr Ahmed said: 'I don’t know how many bilingual birds there are in the UK but there can’t be many.
'My in-laws live in Bradford and a family who they know were looking to re-home the parrot as he was becoming too much of a handful.
'They wanted him to go to a home that spoke the same language, so we said we’d have him on board and ever since then he has become part of the family.
Mr Ahmed, who runs a car firm and accident management company, says he is refusing to take him out to the local mosque - after the parrot escaped recently from his workplace.
Mr Ahmed, his wife, Shabana, 31, and their three young daughters were 'devastated' when he disappeared.
But tears turned to joy when the bird turned up four days later having flown four miles away.
Susan Lane, from Halesowen, West Midlands, found the Mittu in her holly tree and found Mr Ahmed online.
'As soon as we were reunited he came and kissed my face,' Mr Ahmed added.
'We were delighted to have him back, it was like losing one of the family when he flew off.
'So I’m not letting him go out any more, I’m keeping a close eye on him from now on.'
The bilingual bird has developed an impressive vocabulary in both English and Urdu after being raised in a home where both are spoken.
As well as the likes of ‘who’s a pretty boy then’, the two-year-old has mastered the traditional Muslim greeting ‘asalaam alaykum’ and ‘bismillah’, the Urdu for ‘in the name of Allah’.
Owner Ghaffar Ahmed, 36, said: ‘He speaks Urdu and English. But he also barks like a dog and makes the noise of the refrigerator alarm, so he likes making all sorts of noises really.’
Mittu lives with Mr Ahmed’s family in Stourbridge, West Midlands. This year a study found that African greys are capable of the same level of intelligent reasoning as a four-year-old child.
Mr Ahmed said: 'I don’t know how many bilingual birds there are in the UK but there can’t be many.
'My in-laws live in Bradford and a family who they know were looking to re-home the parrot as he was becoming too much of a handful.
'They wanted him to go to a home that spoke the same language, so we said we’d have him on board and ever since then he has become part of the family.
Mr Ahmed, who runs a car firm and accident management company, says he is refusing to take him out to the local mosque - after the parrot escaped recently from his workplace.
Mr Ahmed, his wife, Shabana, 31, and their three young daughters were 'devastated' when he disappeared.
Friends: Mittu 's owner Ghaffar Ahmed says his beloved bird can say 'come here' and 'hello, how are you?' in Urdu along with other religious words
Susan Lane, from Halesowen, West Midlands, found the Mittu in her holly tree and found Mr Ahmed online.
'As soon as we were reunited he came and kissed my face,' Mr Ahmed added.
'We were delighted to have him back, it was like losing one of the family when he flew off.
'So I’m not letting him go out any more, I’m keeping a close eye on him from now on.'
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