Parrot Talk

Brenda Bean is a woman with many birds. Parrots, to be exact. She and her husband, Jack, run Parrot Productions, a company that brings parrots to special events like car wash fundraisers and retirement home evening entertainment. 

Bean’s 30-year history with birds began in 1980 when she purchased a Green-cheeked Conure for her then 4- and 5-year-old children. Since that first experience, Bean found herself in love with birds and eventually found parrots. A few years later she and a friend opened Training Active Management Eoavis (TAME) in Grand Prairie, Texas, a store where people could purchase trained pet birds. In addition to birds for sale, TAME provided education on caring for birds, their dietary needs and symptoms of illness.

The bird business was no match for the 1980 recession, however, and TAME soon had to close its doors. In search of better opportunities, Bean moved to Georgia.  Along with the move came the hard task of selling many of her beloved birds. It wasn’t until 2006, when she met her husband Jack, that she was able to purchase an Eclectus parrot named Cash. Since that time, Bean has slowly been adding new additions to her family of birds, and she now travels between Gwinnett and Dekalb counties to introduce her parrots to audiences both young and old.

“We do all kinds of events," said Bean. "Retirement communities, kids birthday parties, and this year we are doing a lot more with the Dekalb County libraries. Last year I only did one library event, this year I’m doing seven."

At an event hosted by the Covington Branch of the Dekalb County Public Library on Wednesday morning, nearly 60 children showed up to meet Bean’s parrots.  Some were from nearby daycare centers and others were Dekalb residents brought by their parents.

Bean began her presentation with a history of the parrots.  The most intriguing story was about Max, a Hyacinth Macaw, which is an endangered species. There are only 5,000 birds of his kind still left in the wild.

In addition to Max, there were Cash and Lucy, male and female Eclectus’, Elliot, a gold and blue Macaw, Keeli, a scarlet Macaw and Albert the great Dane, who is also a part of the family act when the parrots ride on a saddle attached to his back.

Children were invited to hold the birds and take photographs and the conclusion of the presentation.

Though Bean’s true passion is parrots, the bird business is not one that she can do full-time. Bean works in a Snellville factory that manufactures eco-friendly lumber alternatives to supplement her income.

“The summer months at the factory are usually pretty slow,” said Bean. “That’s why I’m thankful that these events with the libraries are starting to pick up. Like most people in the world, I can’t only do what I love, which is work with my birds.”

In addition to her tour of the Dekalb County libraries, Bean can also be found most weekends at the Snellville Farmer’s Market. Visit Bean's website for more information on her work and her parrots.