JUST WHISPER IT IN MY EAR. Bella the cockatiel receives delicious gossip from Emily the budgie. They belong to Suzanne Cimini of Alpharetta, Ga.

HEY, DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT A GARBAGE DISPOSAL SOUNDS LIKE? Mattie, Petie and Gomer, young green lineolated parakeets, learn the ins and outs of bathing in a sink. Their owner is Denise Taormina of St. Clair Shores, Mich.

DOWN THE HATCH-LING. Basil, a pied cockatiel father, regurgitates a meal for a normal grey chick produced with Stella, a normal pearl. Stella's father, the chick's grandfather, was a normal grey and Basil's father was a whiteface grey. Their owner is Vickie Culbertson of Ashtabula, Ohio.

IT'S ONLY A PROBLEM WHEN HE STANDS UP. Ladybird, a pied cockatiel, nests inside Daniel Nutley's pants leg. Bird and owner hail from Hampstead, N.C.

NARCOLEPSY RUNS IN MY FAMILY. Sunny the sun conure, owned by Marlyne Lessard of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, runs out of steam midway through a bath.

IS IT CUTER WHEN I TILT MY HEAD THIS WAY? OR THE OTHER WAY? Green Pacific parrotlet Shrek, who belongs to Jenny Williams of Carmichael, Calif., seeks posing advice from Bubba, a blue Pacific parrotlet who belongs to Jenny's mom, Theresa Mark.

CRISP MORNINGS, PLAID COMFORTERS. DON'T YOU JUST LOVE FALL? Moki, a lineolated parakeet, lives with Steven Bourgeois of Lake Villa, Ill.

I THINK I GOT HOLD OF A BAD PEANUT. Buddy, a green Pacific parrotlet, looks to Bella, a blue Pacific parrotlet, for sympathy. They live in Grass Valley, Calif., with their owner, Brenda.

THAT DOES IT; I'M SWITCHING SALONS. Samson the sun conure dries out after a drenching provided by Barbara and Fred Schoenfeld of Hallandale Beach, Fla.

I'VE BEEN TOLD I'M REMARKABLY HANDSOME, YES. Delta Holder's blue-front Amazon, Mateo, sits for the camera.

SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A NUT. Lady Lancelot, a medium sulfur-crested cockatoo owned by Jill Warner of Saugus, Calif., dismantles an almond.

MAN, THIS BIRD MASH GOES DOWN SMOOTH. Congo African grey Gandalf mellows out to dinner. He lives with Brandon Neice of Orlando, Fla.

YOU BE TIPPI HEDREN. I'LL BE THE SEAGULL. Kaya, a blue-front Amazon who lives in Gouda, The Netherlands, wings toward his owner, Johanna Steevens, on his first flight.

HERE, I CLIPPED A STORY OUT OF THE NEWSPAPER FOR YOU. Unfortunately, Adia, an African grey owned by Brian and Priscilla of Apopka, Fla., could not find the scissors.

SANTA WEARS A FLIGHT DIAPER? IF YOU SAY SO. Phil and Denise Martin's Goffin's cockatoo, Snuggles, exudes good cheer and nothing else, thanks to his dual-purpose costume.

IT MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING I ATE. Kiwi, a six-week-old greenwing macaw being raised by Yvonne and Corey Carpenter of Dallas, asks for more formula.

AT LONG LAST I'VE DISCOVERED THE WORMHOLE TO ANOTHER DIMENSION. Molly, a Pacific parrotlet owned by Carissa Moreland of Phoenix, makes another scientific breakthrough.

HOW DID I GET TALKED INTO THIS? Poirot, an African grey, plays the part of Rudolph pulling Pringle, a cockatiel, and a a sleigh full of presents for good little birds. They live with Mother Barbara of the Convent of St. Elizabeth in Etna, Calif.

A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN. Coqui, Nanette Fuentes' lineolated parakeet, enjoys the natural branches added to his playstand.

START THE MOVIE ANY TIME. Pea-Wee the parrotlet prepares to enjoy a jumbo popcorn served up by Kathy Baringer of Canton, Ohio.

SOFT. SHINY. NATURALLY CURLY. THE PERFECT NESTING MATERIAL. Diego the military macaw preens a head of hair belonging to Randy Crout of Arnold.

HERE I AM WITH JERRY, MY COLLEGE ROOMMATE IN THE SIXTIES. Frankie the Quaker parakeet hangs with Jerry Hurst in a photo taken by Debra Hurst of Winona, Texas.

OH, I ADORE BUFFETS! Tuck, a yellow American budgie, and Linny the cockatiel (background) drop in on Ming, a blue English budgie, for dinner. Elaina Morrison of Chula Vista, Calif., is their owner.

YIKES, DID YOU HEAR THAT? Andreas Grueneberg's Goffin's cockatoo, Spike, keeps a keen ear tuned to the wilds of Leduc, Alberta.

THIS WAS THE YEAR MY GERBER DAISIES WON FIRST PLACE AT THE COUNTY FAIR. Sunny, a sun conure, lives with Sharlene Fancey of Marysville, Ohio.

YOU LET THE CAT TAKE THE CAR WHERE? Tyson, a blue-and-gold macaw who lives with Pegie and Tony Glasco of Battle Creek, Mich., can't believe his eyes.

I SEEM TO BE MISSING A SALAD FORK. Sprout, a Quaker parakeet, waits for Corie Harvey of New York to provide the correct utensils.

WHO KNEW SURVEILLANCE PHOTOS COULD BE SO FLATTERING? Kona, a Congo African grey, lives with Alex Edinger of St. Helens, Ore.

CLOROX 2 REALLY DOES BRING OUT YOUR WHITEST WHITES! Alison Schofield of Townsend, Mass., owns Lila, a striking albino cockatiel.

COLONEL SANDERS? EXTRA CRISPY? I DON'T FOLLOW. Don Davis' Timneh African Grey, Spencer, is blissfully unaware of the historical significance of birds in buckets.

I SWEAR, OFFICER, I DIDN'T SEE BARBIE IN THE CROSSWALK. Percy, a Quaker parakeet owned by Deanna Johnson of Georgetown, Del., gets off because he wasn't driving.

THIS IS MY EAGLE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MY VULTURE? Ace the blue-and-gold macaw perfects his form for his owner, Vince Ricco of Grapevine, Texas.

THIS ISN'T HAPPENING. THIS ISN'T HAPPENING. Philly the cat deals with the humiliation of being reduced to a perch for Bengy the cockatiel. They belong to Lori Fizzard of Ontario.

HE WHO PERCHES HIGHEST SEES DINNER FIRST. One of the more obscure quotes attributed to the philosopher Plato, a Pacific parrotlet owned by Irene Poulos of Prescott, Ariz.

RATS. I PURLED WHEN I SHOULD HAVE KNITTED. Ash the Congo African grey has to rip it out and start all over. The yarn is supplied by Christa Kangas of Vancouver.

RIIIIIGHT THERE. Judi Livingston of Dover, N.H., gives her cockatiel, Callie, a head rub.

I'VE GOT TO GET OFF THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT. Bella, a green-cheek conure, relaxes in her new home with Jaze Ficarra of Bellingham, Wash.

IS IT ME OR THE CAGE THAT'S LISTING? Martha Fairris' Goffin's cockatoo, Jojo, checks her equilibrium in Mesa, Ariz.

SOMETIMES THE SHELL IS THE BEST PART. Gizzy the Senegal enjoys a peanut provided by Brenda Leevey of Lincoln, Ill.

OKAY, LET'S TAKE IT FROM THE TOP. Peaches, a Moluccan cockatoo, directs the Woodville, Ohio, household of Sandy Eck.

WHAT CAN I SAY? IT'S BEEN A ROUGH DAY. Nikki, a calico macaw (a military and greenwing hybrid) owned by Yvonne of Dallas, reclines on her perch after a relaxing bath.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THE SIZE OF THIS NEST? Zodiac, a Prince of Wales parakeet, crows over his find in Donna Krauss' Derry, N.H., kitchen.

I ASKED FOR BUTTER! Dawn Cox's black-headed caique, Tango, dives into a popcorn party thrown for his first hatchday.

LOVE THE HIGHLIGHTS! A bath reveals the coral coloring under the white feathers of Chauncey, a slender-billed cockatoo owned by Gayle Reece of California.

FAKE BANANA, FAKE ORANGE, IS NOTHING HERE ORGANIC? Bo-Bo the Senegal, owned by Donna Gardner of Owings Mills, Md., tastes a mouthwatering toy.

TOWER TO BUDGIES. Sunny, Tiel, and Puffy look for a place to set down at the end of their daily buzz around the home of Alice and Henry Piotrowski of Naugatuck, Conn.

I'VE SAT ON THIS BONG ALL DAY AND NOTHING'S HAPPENED...OH, IT'S A BOING! Jackie Johnson's lineolated parakeet of Scottsbluff, Neb., enjoys his rope.

I SEE...I SEE A BOWL FILLED WITH NUTS AND FRUIT... Cheeky Bird, a green-cheek conure who lives with Kylie Wilson of Thunder Bay, Ontario, predicts the future.

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY TURNS GREY YOUNG. Cinnamon is a white-face cinnamon cockatiel owned by Debbie Kirkbride of Bay City, Mich.

I FEEL GOOD ENOUGH TO BITE SOMETHING. Zoey, a white-cap pionus owned by Laura of New Jersey, playfully gnaws a rope after a particularly invigorating bath.

SHHHH! SOMEONE'S COMING. Christine Baker's peach-face lovebirds Razzle, Jellybean, Hunny and Windy hatch a plot.

PACKAGE DELIVERY. Sunny, a Congo African grey, offers a toy block to his owner, Jeannie Curtis of Scottsdale, Ariz.

HER SLEEP NUMBER: 75. THE BIRD'S: 3. Raja, a sun conure, finds a sweet spot next to Kathy of Lincoln, Ark.

SOMETIMES I SITS AND THINKS. Kwai Chang, a cockatiel owned by Wendy Rust of Glen Carbon, Ill., meditates.

I DO DECLARE, I AM THE PRETTIEST FLOWER OUT HERE. Miss Charlotte, an eclectus belonging to Roseanne Launstein of Pinckney, Mich., finds life a bed of morning glories.

WON'T YOU JOIN ME FOR BREAKFAST? Coqui, a halfmoon conure who lives with Herman Dominguez of Port Richey, Fla., looks up from his fried egg.

FIND WALDO, AKA EB THE COCKATIEL. Vivian Lawton of Scottsville, N.Y., owns this festive cockatiel wreath.

AND THE CHIHUAHUA GETS THE BALL. Umbrella cockatoo Torrey blocks Quincy in a bid to recover his jingle ball. Frank Anderson of Beaverton, Ore., is behind the camera.

SAMMY ON THE INSIDE. Robin Walters' green-wing macaw peers out from behind the bars of his cage.

TASTES GREAT, LESS FAT. Gizmo, a normal grey cockatiel, samples a mouse wire while Precious, a whiteface pearl cockatiel, watches. Their owner is Mandy Dale of the United Kingdom.

HO, HO, AW, FORGET IT. Priscilla Cammisa of Englewood, N.J., tries to get her Senegal, Felix Diamond, into the holiday spirit.

SEND US your favorite parrot photo by Dec. 10, 2006, and you could win up to $50 worth of bird supplies from The Perch Store in the January-February 2007 Your Birds photo contest! Please limit entries to one per family and e-mail your JPEG (no thumbnails, BMPs or links to photo albums, please) to yourbirds@parrotchronicles.com. Photos must be at least 250 by 250 pixels in size (the larger the better). Include your bird's name and species, and your name, city and state. Winners and runner-ups will appear by Dec. 20, 2006 on this page. Good luck! By entering the contest, you grant ParrotChronicles.com the right to republish your submitted photo in print or electronic form at any time in the future. -------

ParrotChronicles.com

-------