Keeping a Parrot
We’ve seen plenty of animated movies and films with pirates having a parrot on their shoulder. That was an accurate description and not just a myth! In an interview with Atlas Obscura, author of The History of Pirates and historian Angus Konstam said that “people would pay good money for parrots and other exotic creatures, and sailors could easily buy them in many Caribbean ports,” explaining that some pirates kept the parrots for themselves, but “most were sold when the ship reached home. They were colorful, they could be taught to talk—always entertaining—and they fetched a good price in the bird markets of London.”