The True Story of Freddie Mercury the Parrot: How a Missing Macaw Captured the Hearts of an Entire Community

By Victor Rash and Bradley James Geiger

When author Victor Rash visited a bird rescue and encountered the bird that would eventually become Freddie Mercury, a blue-and-gold–scarlet macaw mix, he was thrilled. He knew the one-and-a-half-year-old parrot was very special.

Freddie quickly made himself part of Victor’s life, playing with toys and living happily in the Florida room at the back of the house. Then one January day a few years later, in the midst of a remodeling project, Victor accidentally took Freddie outside on his shoulder. The parrot flew off for a strange adventure, leaving Victor wondering how he would get his friend back. Over the course of the next ten days, the bird faced threats from cold, storms, and birds of prey, all while Victor and members of his community worked to bring Freddie home. His desperate search finds help from many neighbors, a local radio station, and an out-of-state police department, eventually delivering Freddie back home, where he belonged.

This personal narrative recounts the tale of how an entire community came together in an effort to rescue an escaped tropical parrot in the middle of winter.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781532092763

Victor Rash

Victor Rash was born in Dover, Delaware. He moved to Wilmington, Delaware, at a young age and has continued to reside there ever since. After serving four years in the US Air Force, he attended Brandywine College on a baseball scholarship. He has owned and been involved with training a standardbred racehorse that raced at the three racetracks in Delaware.

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Copyright © 2020 Victor Rash.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-9278-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-9276-3 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-9277-0 (hc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020912305

iUniverse rev. date: 04/04/2022

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The True Story

of

Freddie Mercury

THE PARROT

How a Missing Macaw Captured the Hearts

of an Entire Community

VICTOR RASH

Illustrated by Bradley James Geiger

Contents

Chapter 1     Everyone Loves a Picnic

Chapter 2     A Time to Play

Chapter 3     Up, Up, and Away

Chapter 4     I’ll Be Back

Chapter 5     The Storm Is upon Us

Chapter 6     Where’s Freddie?

Chapter 7     No Rest for the Weary

Chapter 8     Catch Me if You Can

Chapter 9     Help Is on the Way

Chapter 10   Police on the Scene

Chapter 11   Putting the Plan into Action

About the Author

About the Book

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Everyone Loves a Picnic

On a beautiful summer day a few years ago, several of my friends and I got together for a picnic. We had all been working very hard at our jobs, so we decided that a picnic would be a great way to relax and enjoy being with friends on such a perfect Sunday afternoon. I had no idea that being there that day would change my life forever. While there, I had a chance to spend some time with a good friend named April whom I hadn’t seen for quite some time. After we had talked for a while, she began to tell me about her four parrots. That brought back memories of when I, too, had a parrot named Floyd. I used to have a macaw a long time ago, but I had to give him up, I said. Between working and going to college, I simply didn’t have any time to spend with Floyd, which was unfair to him. Parrots are very sociable and enjoy having someone around. It was difficult to let him go. I told April how I had regretted it ever since.

I know someone who has a bird rescue, April said. I can give you his phone number, if you would like.

I called Barry, the owner of the rescue, and the very next day I met Freddie for the first time. The rescue was actually located in Barry’s house. When I arrived, there were two or three people in the front yard. Just outside the front door of the house was a perch, and sitting on it was the most beautiful parrot I had ever seen. He was a blue-and-gold–scarlet macaw mix, which made him very colorful. His wings had been clipped to keep him from flying away. It didn’t take long for me to decide that I wanted him—and the sooner, the better. It may be a couple of days before I can bring Siren to your house, Barry said. The macaw’s name was Siren at the time. He didn’t get renamed Freddie until later on.

I wasn’t very happy about that, so Barry then gave me an option. I can bring him to you tomorrow, but it won’t be until late in the evening. Barry had just gotten Siren. A vet was coming to check him out the next afternoon, before Barry would let me