Has a parrot ever killed a human?

[JaydeParrot]

I was reading a very old book on parrots, it said that while parrots have been known to cause injury none have ever killed a human. This started a conversation between me and my brother over whether it's possible for a parrot to kill someone. Our few theories of how a parrot could kill someone included a macaw biting someone on the neck and tearing their throat out, a parrot biting down on a vein and causing terminal blood loss or a parrot biting so bad it causes the person to slip into shock and get worse.

I know this sounds like a really weird abstract subject but I just wondered if anyone's ever heard of a parrot killing a human or of a really bad parrot attack occuring?

I know this isn't the most important question on the forum, I'm just trying to settle a conversational argument with my brother, .

[Michael]

Only maybe with its cuteness!

[Wolf]

Are you referring to a parrot (1) or parrots ( more than 1) killing a human?

[JaydeParrot]

Are you referring to a parrot (1) or parrots ( more than 1) killing a human?

Either, I'm just interested if it's ever happened? .

Great pic Michael!

[Wolf]

Ok, I will look see what I can find for you.

[Pajarita]

I don't think they would be able to. Parrots are relatively hardy in terms of health when you take good care of them and they are certainly quite resilient in terms of recuperation from surgery or disease when they are healthy and relatively stress-free but vis-à-vis a human, they are extremely fragile. For one thing, they would not 'gang up' (this is predator behavior), for another, although the bleeding to death is a possibility, it would be a most freakish thing to happen as furious birds usually go for your face, not your neck or your wrist and, although a furious macaw can do a lot of damage with his beak and claws, it would be fairly easy for a human to hurt it so seriously that they would be unable to continue attacking you. All you have to do is hit it hard enough to stunt it or break a single wing. And, once they are grounded, breaking their neck doesn't even require a whole lot of strength or even knowledge.

I once read a police report where a man had robbed and, in the process, hurt this older guy who had a macaw. They had caught him because he had bite marks all over and were also able to get avian DNA from his clothes (the macaw's blood), both things used as evidence to convict him, BTW. He reportedly told the police that he had robbed many people with pets but he had never in his entire life seen an animal fight so hard trying to protect his human. He actually had to kill the bird because he kept on attacking him even after he tried to flee.

[Harpmaker]

I once read a police report where a man had robbed and, in the process, hurt this older guy who had a macaw. They had caught him because he had bite marks all over and were also able to get avian DNA from his clothes (the macaw's blood), both things used as evidence to convict him, BTW. He reportedly told the police that he had robbed many people with pets but he had never in his entire life seen an animal fight so hard trying to protect his human. He actually had to kill the bird because he kept on attacking him even after he tried to flee.

Now I feel bad for the man who lost is protective macaw.

There are many credible reports of people needing stitches or worse from a jealous bird who adored them, but didn't like them being friendly with other humans(or birds). Cockatoos seem particularly prone to this behavior, but they are not alone. That is one reason why some books suggest not ever allowing your parrot on your shoulder--your face is in range. Of course the same books recommend wing clipping, so take it as data rather than a requirement.

No reports of deaths though. Unless you count the ones inflicted in "Magic, the Gathering" by the "Carnivorous Death Parrot."

[sidech]

I'm sure there's a least one incident somewhere in the world where a parrot flew over someone's head while they were near a set of stairs, scared the person, made them lose their balance, fall down and break their neck ! If that counts...

[GreenWing]

They're dinosaurs, maybe if they were much bigger...

But seriously, I have only heard of bad bites at the worst, when a person needed stitches.

[Wolf]

So far no parrot is credited with being a man killer that I have been able to find, although they probably have reason enough.