Did Pirates Really Have Parrots?


However, because fictional performance tends to exaggerate reality, the parrot is likely to be left in the cage on the pirate ship. Although they may be hooked by pirates for fun, they are likely to be locked under the boat in a cage. As mentioned earlier, pirates are likely to keep parrots on the ship because they kept a pet during a long voyage.

Pirates did not really have parrots. This myth was created by Robert Louis Stevenson in his book Treasure Island. The book features the famous pirate character Long John Silver, and he both kept a parrot and had a peg leg, which is where the pirate peg leg myth originated.

Some pirates may have kept parrots as companions and entertainment on the ship. While it might not be as common as some think, some pirates likely had parrots on their ships. However, this is all speculation, and while some pirates are likely to keep parrots as pets, this was probably not so common.

Long John Silver’s Legacy on Pirate Aesthetics

John Silver’s long story has certainly fueled the public’s imagination and turned fiction into reality, but there is no real evidence that pirates often keep parrots as pets. The fusion of fiction and reality has led many people to closely associate pirates with parrots, but whether pirates keep them as pets is pure speculation. There is evidence that pirates kept cats aboard their ships to care for mice, and may have occasionally kept dogs as companions, but little evidence that they keep parrots.

While parrots were almost certainly a common animal in the exotic pet trade, and pirates would surely have met many of them in their business, they may not have kept them as pets as often as we would like to believe. As mentioned earlier, pirates most likely adopted parrots when trading exotic animals or stole them from other people.

Most pirates only looked for parrots as an exotic commodity to trade. Given that the pirates had a shared desire for something of value, they would most likely have gone out of their way to acquire unique animals such as parrots.

As far as pirates trade parrots for each other, there is no hard evidence to support this. However, it is likely that some pirates exchanged parrots in gratitude, but this was not the norm.

So, you see, parrots are the perfect companion for important and skilled pirates. Parrots are not only good pets, but many pirates are willing to spend money to buy a large number of parrots after arriving on the mainland, probably for sale or exchange. Parrots are very popular pets, and pirates sold well in the bird market in London in the 18th century.

The pirates didn’t like parrots, and they just made money from them. Yes, in the golden age of piracy, pirates had little monkeys, parrots and other exotic animals because pirates were part of the exotic animal trade. Sometimes they just carried the animals, sometimes they loved and kept them.

Because they were not as mobile and lacked in combat, they often worked as cooks, like Long John Silver. While not as common as some think, some pirates had them on their decks.

In addition, the parrots sitting on the shoulders of pirates make them very good guard birds and can spot ships on the horizon. The most dangerous pirates like to go on long sea voyages accompanied by parrots. The pirates can play happily, or let the parrot sit on their shoulders during the journey.

Therefore, if you had lived in the 17th century and seen a parrot on the shoulder of a pirate, he probably won’t stay there for long. Although this is fictitious, it is undeniable that one or two pirates own such a parrot. The reason why parrots are related to pirates actually gives us a clear understanding of the real existence of pirates in the golden age of pirates. Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” star Long John Silver (Long John Silver) was the first large fictional pirate to walk with a pet parrot But according to Woodard and other classic pirate experts I have interviewed, this pirate is based on real facts.

Robert Louis Stevenson on the Origin of the Pirate Parrot

Robert Louis Stevenson openly admitted that he took the idea of ​​a parrot on a pirate’s shoulder (like the one on Long John Silvers’ shoulder on Treasure Island) from Robinson Crusoe’s book, a book that wasn’t about pirates (but they do an aspect or two) , but rather about a man stranded on a tropical island.

As fictional as the book was, it emphasized that pirates of the 17th and 18th centuries were indeed interested in parrots and other exotic animals. Despite the fact that the novel is a work of fiction, it showed how pirates of the 17th and 18th centuries were fond of parrots and other fauna. I always thought that the pirate was on the shoulder only because pirates entered Caribbean villages to trade between incoming ships and take parrots as pets, but this is much more.

When it comes to pirates, the first thing that comes to mind is the parrot. Pirates are an ideal place to find inspiration when naming parrots, as they are often portrayed as a pet parrot.

Whether you have a macaw, African gray, or any other species of parrot, get some inspiration from this list. Whether you have a macaw or not, here are some great pirate-style parrot names for your new pet. If you liked our pirate parrot names suggestions, check out these parrot names for your pet or something else, these penguin names.

Final words

If you’re looking for cute popular culture parrot names for your chicken (that’s what a female parrot is called), then we have a lot of parrot name ideas here. No matter what kind of bird you have, you need a name for your parrot that goes a long way. In every adaptation of Treasure Island and in every pirate movie, a different breed of parrot can be seen.

The pirate is portrayed as a parrot inhabiting Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Treasure Island, where the evil long John Silver has a talking green parrot named Captain Flint. Pirates of the Caribbean have several characteristics, including the skeleton in the pirate cave, the parrot that sings “Parrots for my life” with the pirates, the parrot that gives a safety speech when they leave, and a green parrot named Pegnago Pitt (no Relationship) Once used as the mascot of the Florida version, the parrot interacting with Jack Sparrow in the current version of the Florida finale.

One of the models is dressed as a pirate, but due to the difference in body size, the parrot’s position is occupied by a dwarf. As we all know, the parrot will immediately land on the captain’s hook or shoulder, as seen in many pirate movies.

However, from the point of view of pirate lore, it is likely that some sea pirates had parrots even earlier. Considering that during these centuries the trade in exotic animals was extremely popular, it makes sense for people to point these centuries to the time of pirates and parrots.

Nicholas Finn

I've been the captain of a fishing boat for over 20 years, and I created Pirateering to share my knowledge of and interest in seafaring.

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