Quaker Parrot Vibes to 'Bacon Pancakes' with Some Seriously Cute Hops

A clip posted by The Green Bird Brigade in late May is guaranteed to lift your spirits. It's impossibly charming, and you might find yourself humming the tune long after it finishes. Fair warning: it could also make you crave breakfast food.

The star is a fluffy blue Quaker parrot whose name isn't given by her owner. In the video, the bird says "bacon pancakes," and when her mom asks if she wants to do bacon pancakes, the parrot echoes the phrase. Then mom begins to sing, and the bird breaks into a dance. Be sure to turn the sound on to catch the bird's enthusiastic reaction.

I'll freely admit I've rewatched The Green Bird Brigade's clip at least ten times. It brings a smile to my face, and the bird's little dance is just too adorable. Commenter @binstagram_ felt the same way, writing, "I've watched this so many times LOL!" @milkshakethepug echoed my own curiosity: "But where are these bacon pancakes?!" @ChristheCockatoo asked, "She is the cutest thing! Does she want to eat them or she just learned the song?" The parrot's mom answered, "I think it's just the song. She would probably look at me like I was nuts if I offered them to her in real life LOL!"

Why Birds Groove to Music

Birds enjoy singing and dancing to music much like humans do. When I was growing up, we had an Amazon parrot called Otis. He's practically another sibling because he's been part of the family for so long; my parents still have him, and he's now in his late 40s. Amazon parrots are famous for being talkative. Otis knows a huge number of words and can mimic countless sounds. Among talking birds, Amazon and African Grey parrots are considered the most vocal, though Macaws can pick up a few words and phrases as well. One of Otis's favorite activities was singing and dancing. He adored the song Old MacDonald Had a Farm and would whistle and sing it at least once a day.

Birds clearly can't grasp song lyrics, but they do respond to music the way we do. Scientists at Emory University discovered that when birds hear birdsongs, their reactions resemble how humans respond to music. The brain pathways humans use while listening to music are the same ones a bird's brain uses. That helps explain why parrots take such joy in singing and dancing.

When birds hear music, they dance in response. They bob and weave, sway back and forth, and show other physical reactions to songs just as we do. They may not stay on beat, but it's clear they're having a good time.