Rogue parrots interrupt softball game in Florida, video shows. See one land on umpire
Parrots interrupted a college softball game — and one even landed on an umpire, Florida video shows.
The rouge bird was seen approaching umpire Chad Stears before perching itself on his shoulder. Then, Stears jokingly held up his umpire mask to signal he wanted to continue the game alongside his new feathery friend, according to Bradley University and footage shared on Twitter.
“That was so cool, honestly,” Bradley sophomore infielder Bailey Sample told the Illinois university about the unexpected visitor. “He was just chilling. He was ready to play.”
The bird was one of two that caused a temporary delay as Bradley’s softball team faced Gardner-Webb University of North Carolina. The teams played Feb. 24 at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
“If you’re missing your tropical birds, please claim them at UCF Softball,” the school’s athletics department wrote on Twitter.
It turns out, someone’s birds had gone missing. A pet owner reportedly came forward and said the trained parrots — named Lelu and Tiki — were flying nearby and became curious about the softball game.
While Sample said the birds sent her screaming and running, footage shows several players standing still as the colorful birds flew over the field during the seventh inning.
“The game has become a total sideshow to everyone watching these birds in flight,” the announcer said in a clip from an ESPN broadcast that Bradley shared on social media.
After a UCF staff member took the bird off the umpire’s shoulder, the video garnered hundreds of thousands of views online. Many Twitter users drew some comparisons to singer Jimmy Buffett, whose fans are called Parrot Heads. The footage also sent puns, ahem, soaring on social media.
“They just wanted a Bird’s Eye View of the game,” one person wrote.
“Ahhh, the 7th inning stretch your wings and fly,” another person tweeted.
This story was originally published February 27, 2023 at 12:40 PM with the headline "Rogue parrots interrupt softball game in Florida, video shows. See one land on umpire."
