Generally speaking, whenever someone thinks of a parrot, a pirate is one of the first stereotypes that pops into someone’s mind.
Whether it’s from a fictional or historical standpoint, pirates and parrots seem to go hand in hand.
Why do parrots and pirates seem to be an unquestionable pair that everyone has an understanding of?
No matter what rabbit hole you dive into, it’s somewhat remarkable that this topic is in the mainstreaming like it is today.
Part of this has to do with the mainstream appeal of movies like Pirates of the Caribbean.
In contrast, the overall societal understanding of parrots has shaped into what it is today.
With this topic in hand, there is a lot to discuss, such as history and how much truth there is on the matter.
Nonetheless, did pirates have parrots?
To answer this question…yes, pirates had parrots. Although it wasn’t as common as some fictional films or books tell, it still happened. Depending on the timespan you look at, some aspects point out the reason pirates had parrots.
How cool is that?
It’s possible that one of your parrot’s ancestors was deeply tied to a pirate ship and crew.
As unreal as that might sound, that certainly was the reality at one point or another.
However, it’s important to note that not every pirate had a parrot.
Considering the subject of pirates having parrots is an exciting storyline alone, let’s discuss more in the subject.
We’ll highlight why pirates had pirates, the evidence behind it, and countless other information related to the field.
By the end of it, you’ll know everything there is to know about pirates having parrots.
This is a fascinating subject that’ll present you with a lot of useful information and fun facts to tell people.
Without delaying the matter any longer, let’s get started!
Why did pirates have parrots?
Considering pirates are humans just like us, our same infatuation with parrots was most likely their reasoning for having parrots too.
Although the evidence is a bit difficult to pinpoint how common it was for pirates to have parrots, pirates loved exotic animals.
In fact, many historians point out that pirates and other people were deeply entwined with the exotic animal trade market.
Similar to today, people loved exotic animals and would trade or steal them from one another.
Whether you support the notion of trading animals as products or not, it was a subjective reality.
Considering parrots are brightly colored creatures, they would’ve been worth a lot at one point or another.
Plus, since parrots are so unique compared to other birds, it makes sense why pirates were so interested in them.
Like anything else, people love having pets around.
Even the most threatening pirate enjoyed the company of a creature like a parrot.
Since parrots spent a good chunk of their time out to sea, why wouldn’t they enjoy the company of a parrot?
Plus, if pirates had the chance to steal parrots, this would’ve been an even more significant incentive for them to have a parrot on their ship.
Is there any evidence as to why pirates had parrots?
As noted, there is a lot of evidence pointing to exotic animal trades being a common occurrence back in the day.
Piracy typically occurred between the 1650s to 1730s, when the world wasn’t anything like it is today.
Although this is difficult for us to understand, the world of piracy was crazy back then.
Part of the reason mainstream appeal connects pirates with parrots has to do with Long John Silver.
For those who don’t know, Long John Silver was the fictional pirate in Treasure Island.
Although the story is entirely fictional, there is some truth for pirates having parrots at one time or another.
As noted earlier, pirates went on lengthy adventures searching for the next plot of treasure or people to rob.
Thus, the theory into why pirates would have various exotic animals on board for entertainment in a sense to pass the time.
Plus, there is some evidence that explorers and pirates noted areas where the best parrots came from.
Considering the connection between parrots and pirates seems to be a reality, there is a reason.
Although it might’ve not been as common as some would like to think, some pirates certainly had parrots on their ships.
Are parrots suitable for pirate ships?
If these supposed pirates had parrots on their ship, why did they?
Considering their ship was their home, the same question can be asked why you have a parrot in your home.
People love parrots for the simple reason they’re fantastic creatures.
They’re well-behaved, friendly, and affectionate.
As noted earlier, pirates most likely had parrots on board for the sole reason to have a pet while on a lengthy journey.
Considering pirate ships had a fairly decent size and a large crew attached to it, why wouldn’t they have a creature as magnificent as a parrot to give company to everyone?
Think of yourself in their shoes. Would you rather go on long several week-long trips with just you and the people on board, or have all of that and a parrot to have as a pet?
Pirates and countless explorers at the time often brought pets to enhance the overall journey.
Thus, why it’s possible so many pirates had parrots on their ships.
Did pirates trade parrots?
As briefly mentioned earlier, pirates most likely had parrots from either exotic animal trades or stealing them from other people.
Since parrots are brightly colored and beautiful creatures, pirates were most likely amazed by their unique appearance.
Plus, their unique appearance made them unbelievably valuable back in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Considering pirates had a general want for anything valuable, they most likely would go out of their way to obtain unique animals like parrots.
As far as pirates trading parrots from one another, there isn’t any actual evidence to support this.
However, it’s possible some pirates traded parrots to each other as a sign of respect, but this typically wasn’t the norm.
Considering pirates were fairly ruthless and not looking for even trades, why would they give up their beautiful parrot?
What species of parrots did pirates have?
Similar to today, the species of parrots had varied incredibly.
Since there are so many different kinds of parrots, not every pirate went out to seek a single kind of parrot.
As a result, it’s difficult to say a single species was tied to pirates.
From a fictional standpoint, Long John Silver from Treasure Island was described as having a Blue and Yellow Macaw.
Although this fiction, it’s undoubtedly real that a pirate or two had a similar parrot.
Considering the vast history behind pirates, it makes sense why there is so much information on the subject.
Although the 17th and 18th centuries might seem completely different from today, they still have some relatability.
At least with the subject of parrots in mind, people loved parrots back then for the same reason we do today.
When did pirates have parrots?
As noted earlier, the golden age of piracy occurred during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Considering exotic animal trades were extremely popular during these centuries, it makes sense why people point these centuries out for pirate and parrot times.
However, as far as the history of pirates goes, it’s certainly possible some pirates had parrots much earlier.
The evidence is difficult to highlight since so much of pirate history happened on a ship without it being noted down.
Like countless other aspects of history, it’s difficult to say for sure what was reality at one point or another.
Luckily enough, it’s easy to make estimates based on a certain assumption of a particular time.
Did parrots go on a pirate’s hook?
As you’ve seen numerous times in pirate movies, parrots have gone directly on the captain’s hook.
Considering it’s straightforward for a parrot to do this today, it’s easy to assume they did this back in the day.
However, since the fictional standpoints tend to exaggerate reality, parrots most likely stayed in cages on pirate ships.
Although it’s possible they went on a pirate’s hook for their amusement, they were most likely kept below ship in a cage.
Since parrots can fly away at any point, pirates were smart enough to know this.
They didn’t want their parrot to fly away and get away from them.
Similar to do, they knew the importance of having your parrot be safely put away in a cage.
Did pirates fight over parrots?
Although a parrot going on a pirate’s hook is possible, it’s even more of a stretch to estimate if pirates fought over parrots.
Considering pirates would invade ships or fight people for anything, it’s possible they took parrots in the process of fighting others.
As noted, the bright color and great complexion of a parrot would’ve been enough for pirates to take them alone.
However, it’s impossible to infer that there isn’t a ton of evidence to say they solely started fights over parrots.
The way society looks at pirates and parrots won’t fade thanks to Long John Silver from treasure island.
As fictional as the book was, it highlighted how pirates from the 17th and 18th centuries actually had an interest in parrots and other exotic animals.