'PARROTHEADS' SITTNG PRETTY

PADUCAH, Ky. -- Polly, want a cracker? Or maybe a bigger cage or a bird gym?

For exotic bird lovers, there was plenty to choose from at the Tri-State Exotic Bird Fair Saturday at the JR's Executive Inn Riverfront.

The fair featured more than 100 vendor booths and more than 1,000 exotic birds from cockatoos to Amazon parrots.

Vendors came from as far away as Florida, Colorado and Virginia to sell their exotic birds, parrot food, cages and bird toys.

The fair continues from noon to 5 p.m. today.

Billy and Sandy Boone of Owensboro, Ky., shopped the fair Saturday with two of their pet parrots perched on their shoulders.

Touche, a 9-year-old African grey parrot perched contentedly on Billy Boone's shoulder.

A 3 1/2-year-old Amazon parrot named Jordie surveyed her surroundings from atop Sandy Boone's shoulder. The multi-hued parrot is named after basketball player Michael Jordan.

Sandy Boone said they regularly take the birds on such outings. "They like to go to bird shows."

Billy Boone that Touche, "can say anything we can say," and said he never has to wonder if his pet parrot is hungry. "He will tell you when he wants to eat."

The Boones said they take the birds to bird fairs to see what toys their pets like.

"I have had birds since I was 13," said Sandy Boone. "They are really great pets."

Chip and Carri Hilton of Grand Junction, Tenn., organized the bird fair.

The couple started out in the pet store business. Today, they devote most of their time to organizing bird shows around the region.

An estimated 1,000 to 2,000 bird lovers are expected to visit the weekend show in Paducah.

Carri Hilton said exotic birds have become popular pets. Depending on the breed, they can live anywhere from 12 years to 125 years.

"So it really is an investment," she said. It's common for people to will their pet parrots to their children or other relatives.

Carri Hilton said it's easy to get hooked on the colorful, talking birds.

"They are so easy to care for," she said.

The exotic birds at this show weren't taken from the jungle. They were bred in the United States as pets. Their wings typically are clipped so they can't fly.

The birds come in all sizes, from a few inches tall to several feet in length.

Prices vary too. Finches and parakeets sell for as little as $10, while a macaw can cost $800 to $1,500.

Bird seller Judy Herring of Conyers, Ga., showed off a 16-week-old scarlet macaw priced at $1,250. She refers to her birds as her "babies."

Macaws can live 80 to 125 years.

Chip Hilton said the price is right when one considers how long the birds live. "I don't look at it as a lot of money. I look at it as an investment."

Thirteen years ago, he bought a pair of parakeets and the hobby took wing.

Within two years, he had over 300 pairs of birds. His 1,500-square-foot home was soon filled with feathers.

The Hiltons were feeding 40 to 60 baby birds at a time.

Soon, the couple was specializing in birds at their pet store.

"They grow on you," Chip Hilton said. "You can teach them to talk, to do tricks."

Cleaning up is easy. "It takes about five minutes to clean a cage," he said.

For the Hiltons and other bird lovers, the creatures are more than fine, feathered friends. They are part of the family.

Said Chip Hilton, "I wouldn't trade my pets for anything."