It starts out with a group of four birds, two green and two yellow who somehow know their teammates and how to play. In fact, Noris Buzdugan commented, “Bro they even have matching teams,” which certainly adds to the flavor of the game. There’s no need for jerseys when you can determine your teammates just by the color of their feathers. The happy birds run back and forth, put the ball through the hoops, and play tug with their opponent. After the basketball game finishes, they squeeze a quick version of volleyball in, tossing the little ball over a net. While the human viewers seem delighted, it’s nothing compared to how happy and proud the birds look (we’re still not sure who won though).

Viewers were entranced by the clever birds and many cheered them on in the comments. General Žare decided that we really need to rename the sports association: “NBA: National Bird Association.” This could surely take off. Scrolling asked the question that we were all wondering: How does one teach this to them? Many others questioned the rules of this sport with johntapley73 remarking, “Come on ref, travelling violation surely? wth! I had big money on this game.” Lastly, mettdredhme took this a step further and suggested we all get in on it, “How can we bet? looks safer than football.”

How do you teach birds games?

We love to teach our animals tricks, and birds pick up a lot of these games quickly and happily. Many seem to enjoy learning new things and showing off. In order to get your pet to this level though, you have to start small. The goal is to begin their bird training from a young age and keep it up with daily practice sessions. To start, you might not even use a ball, since you want your bird to learn things like perching on your finger (roughly the avian equivalent of teaching a dog to sit). Then introduce toys — fetch, catch, and throw will become the basics for your sport. Eventually, your animal might be able to graduate to impressive moves like dodging and dunking, but it’s also fun to watch what they come up with themselves. Since birds are smart and social, they’ll design their own games if given the tools.

Sometimes, these animals make great pets, too. But is a holiday the right time to gift a pet? We think all potential pet owners should consider some important, realistic facts, especially if they’re considering owning or gifting a baby animal for Easter. This is a big decision, after all! Here’s what to know first.

Pet ownership is for their whole life, not just the baby phase

As precious as baby chicks and ducklings can be, they’ll grow up into chickens and ducks one day. You’ll only get a few months of babyhood to enjoy, though even those early months will be filled with chores and messes of all kinds. Remember, caring for a baby animal is still caring for an animal!

You’ll also want to consider how your potential pet’s needs will change as they grow. If you have pet rabbits, for example, you’ll need to neuter or spay them between 4 and 6 months of age (via Calder Vets). You also need to set up a rabbit hutch either indoors or outdoors, and you’ll need to keep up with all necessary vet visits.

No matter what species of animal you’re thinking of getting or gifting at Easter, or any time of year, consider what they’ll be like as an adult as well as a baby. So many pets end up in shelters — or worse — because their owners couldn’t handle their adult needs. Other times, animals are abandoned simply because the novelty wears off.

For animal lovers who aren’t ready for the commitment, consider visiting a wildlife sanctuary or symbolically adopting an animal through a charity.

Even small pets take up a lot of space (and money)

Pet ownership is expensive no matter what species you own. You’ll be purchasing things like food and cleaning supplies on the regular, and vet visits can break the bank, too. A potential pet owner might not be ready for the financial or spacial commitment, especially if they don’t know the surprise is coming.

Pets like ducks and baby chicks need plenty of space to roam and play, too. Depending on their age, you might need to keep your new bird indoors until they are large and strong enough to fend for themselves. Special equipment like heat lamps might even be necessary for the early days, but in a few weeks, you can think about setting up an outdoor space.

The warmer months are busy: Are you able to care for a pet?

Easter marks the unofficial beginning of springtime and the warm months. School is getting intense as finals loom near, and even adults are stressed with Tax Day. True, summer vacation might give some folks extra time to spare, but will you have enough time to make a pet feel safe, healthy, and loved?

You might need to dedicate more time to your new pet when you first bring them home, but you’ll always have to set aside time for your animal friend. Even routine things like vet visits and meals take time, so you’ll need to be ready for a long-term commitment.

If this sounds like a lot to take in — it is! Pet ownership is nothing to take lightly, even when Easter festivities make it look like a walk in the park. It can be incredibly rewarding to care for a pet, too, but thinking through this big decision is always the way to go.

Posted to the Party Parrot subreddit by u/LeSpatula, this TikTok video is definitely one you’ll want to share. While many birdies enjoy a round of Peekaboo, the two ringnecks in this funny bird video have got it down. Of course, they have to get in sync and spend the first few seconds chattering in a pidgin language that seems to be part English and part Parrot. However, by the end, they both know exactly what’s about to happen. The two singers dip their heads together, beaks almost touching, and pull up in perfect unison, shouting “Peekaboo.” They go in one more time before walking, or maybe strutting, their separate ways.

Top commenter u/Manu_Pacos gave some insight into these sweet animals remarking, “Seriously, ringnecks are too funny. They are such clowns.” It’s true these parrots are well known for loving fun. u/CrinchNflinch added, “Bird: ‘Glad, that we clarified this. Now, let’s strut.’” which shows on their determined faces as they walk away. It’s certainly one of the most rewatchable as u/Cynthus68 said, “Love this video. Makes me smile every time I see it. Never gets old.” Finally, we couldn’t agree more with u/UnitZerOne, who mentioned, “Someone please call a surgeon! I’m in dire need of a heart transplant! –because mine just melted.”

How to teach your parrot to talk

If you have a bird at home and want her to play Peekaboo too, you’ll have to start a few steps back. Begin with very easy words such as “Hi” or “Mom.” Like humans, they’ll pick up the shorter, simpler sounds first. You will probably want to say these to your birds in a cute or interesting voice to get her attention and then immediately praise her when she tries to say them back. Parrots are smart social creatures, so they enjoy interacting. While a seed will be great for positive reinforcement, you also want to practice talking to each other so that she begins to understand the communication style.

No matter how much work you’re willing to put into training your bird, it really comes down to her style. Some don’t ever take to it because they’re interested in other things, like games and toys. Others will start to pick up everything you say, and suddenly you have to censor your speech a little bit to make sure they aren’t learning anything bad. Hopefully, you’ll wind up with a little guy who loves Peekaboo just as much as we do.

This cheeky mom takes parrot talking to the next level. Instead of speaking to her humans, she’s decided it’s time to teach her own kiddos a thing or two. In it, three small babies sit carefully in a basket while mom watches over them (and their human keeps an eye on the brood from behind the camera). The mama takes this opportunity to play a little game with her baby birds and starts up a round of peekaboo. Each time, she leans in to cry “Peekaboo” and then looks at her owner to make sure she did it right. At the end, she laughs at her own silliness.

It’s thanks to u/myztick that we get to see this delightful scene, which was posted to the AnimalsBeingMoms subreddit. Commenters were quick to point out that the babies seemed to enjoy the game, even if they didn’t quite get what was going on. “Look at the one at the top! He’s smiling!” says u/Old-Juggernaut6608. u/Logical_Airline1240 followed that up with “The babies are like ???” noting that they have not yet mastered human speech. Finally, u/pastdense remarks, “This is next level wholesome.” We can’t agree more.

Why can parrots talk?

It’s still something of a mystery why parents can talk while neither man’s best friend nor our primate cousins have mastered anything close to human speech. However, scientists are beginning to crack the code. Researchers like Erich Jarvis have located a part of the bird brain called the song system that allows them to learn the tunes they need to communicate with their own kind. Parrots have a more developed system here and so they can expertly mimic human speech as well. While our avian pals don’t have a deep understanding of the words they speak, they do understand context and grasp that “Hello” is a greeting, much like they would hail a member of their kind with a chirp. Some can even learn to identify different objects and foods, requesting their particular favorites as necessary.

Though not all birds will become as talkative as this little one, you too can teach yours to say a few words, and more importantly, not to say others. If you want a Chatty Cathy, stick to the larger, more developed species as smaller budgies will struggle to learn more than an easy word or two. And remember, raising baby birds is no easy task, best left to the professionals.