Parrots & Pirates

From a cultural perspective, parrots and pirates go together like peanut butter and jelly. But why do we associate one with the other? The image of a pirate with a parrot perched on his shoulder is one of the most enduring tropes in Western popular culture. From Treasure Island to Pirates of the Caribbean, from literature to film, theme parks, and even sports mascots, the association between parrots and pirates is now so ingrained that it feels almost h...