Why do pirates have parrots?

I asked the pirate experts I spoke to whether parrots would have been part of any sort of exotic pet trade. “Back home people would pay good money for parrots and other exotic creatures, and sailors could easily buy them in many Caribbean ports. read more

Depictions of pirates with parrots have been common since the publication of "Treasure Island." The Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team has used an oversized parrot as their mascot since 1979. In the "Pirates of the Caribbean" film series, a member of Jack Sparrow's crew is seen with a parrot on his shoulder. read more

No historical pirate is known ever to have kept a parrot. But other sailors did, and it's a fair rule of thumb that anything other sailors did, at least some pirates did too, so it's certainly possible that some pirates may have kept parrots. read more

Cities like Boston and Charleston, where a parrot might be sold, were much smaller in those days, and pirates were often well-known and hunted criminals who would have a hard time entering the waterways of more populous cities like London. read more