Gen-Z birdwatcher best friends with her cockatiel - who loves to dance and sing
- 9 days ago
A Gen-Z birdwatcher is best friends with her cockatiel - who loves to dance and sing to funk songs.
Grace Robinson, 19, has always been a "huge nature enthusiast" and grew up with pet budgies.
She got her pet cockatiel, Kiki, four years ago and Grace has been amazed at how quickly he can pick up songs.
Kiki mastered the iPhone ring tone first - and even tricks Grace into thinking her phone is ringing.
He can sing Earth Wind and Fire's "September" and wolf whistle at his cockatiel girlfriend, Luna.
Grace hopes to inspire other young people to get out into nature and try birdwatching by showing off Kiki's quirks.
Grace, who is training to be a tattoo artist, from Norwich, Norfolk, said: "I'm a huge nature enthusiast and a huge bird watcher.
"I'm so young and don't know any friends interested in it.
"I'm always out birdwatching. It's my favourite thing. It's a form of mediating."
Grace got Kiki in 2019 and said he first started imitating her ring tone.
She said: "I think my phone is ringing and it's just Kiki.
"He also knows 'If you're happy and you know it clap your hands' and September.
"He wolf whistles. It's very random but he does it in perfect moments."
Kiki's girlfriend, Luna, doesn't sing. The pair live in Grace's bedroom.
Grace said: "She's quite shy."
The birds are quiet when it is dark and Grace can cover them if she needs peace and quiet.
She has hung bird feeders outside her window to attract other birds such as blue tits.
Her favourite birds, beside Kiki and Luna, include a long tailed tit - which looks like a "lollipop stick" and red kites.
Grace hopes to teach Kiki some new songs - as September on repeat has become a bit annoying.
She said: "I'm getting bored of September.
"He has to hear something every day for a couple of weeks for him to pick it up."
Grace shares Kiki in the hope of getting more youngsters into nature.
She said: "I'm getting people to notice the simple things.
"The first thing you notice in the morning is usually a bird."
Grace Robinson, 19, has always been a "huge nature enthusiast" and grew up with pet budgies.
She got her pet cockatiel, Kiki, four years ago and Grace has been amazed at how quickly he can pick up songs.
Kiki mastered the iPhone ring tone first - and even tricks Grace into thinking her phone is ringing.
He can sing Earth Wind and Fire's "September" and wolf whistle at his cockatiel girlfriend, Luna.
Grace hopes to inspire other young people to get out into nature and try birdwatching by showing off Kiki's quirks.
Grace, who is training to be a tattoo artist, from Norwich, Norfolk, said: "I'm a huge nature enthusiast and a huge bird watcher.
"I'm so young and don't know any friends interested in it.
"I'm always out birdwatching. It's my favourite thing. It's a form of mediating."
Grace got Kiki in 2019 and said he first started imitating her ring tone.
She said: "I think my phone is ringing and it's just Kiki.
"He also knows 'If you're happy and you know it clap your hands' and September.
"He wolf whistles. It's very random but he does it in perfect moments."
Kiki's girlfriend, Luna, doesn't sing. The pair live in Grace's bedroom.
Grace said: "She's quite shy."
The birds are quiet when it is dark and Grace can cover them if she needs peace and quiet.
She has hung bird feeders outside her window to attract other birds such as blue tits.
Her favourite birds, beside Kiki and Luna, include a long tailed tit - which looks like a "lollipop stick" and red kites.
Grace hopes to teach Kiki some new songs - as September on repeat has become a bit annoying.
She said: "I'm getting bored of September.
"He has to hear something every day for a couple of weeks for him to pick it up."
Grace shares Kiki in the hope of getting more youngsters into nature.
She said: "I'm getting people to notice the simple things.
"The first thing you notice in the morning is usually a bird."