A cheeky parrot has been causing a stir in a Cardiff pub by swearing at customers and telling them, ‘you’re barred. ‘ Rio, a two year old South American Macaw, has been making his presence felt at The Clifton Hotel, squawking obscenities at patrons.
The bird has lived with the landlady of The Clifton since he was a chick and picked up his colourful language from the regulars. He’s even taken on the role of bouncer, telling unsuspecting customers ‘you’re barred.’
Landlady Kerry Chapman, 53, said: “Rio greets people when they come in but he then tells them to f*** off.
“He’s said much worse like ‘You’re a w***er’ and ‘You t**t’. He’s told people ‘You’re barred’.”
Ms Chapman bought Rio from a pet shop when he was six-weeks-old and brought him to Adamsdown when she took over The Clifton two years ago. “He was shy then, but now he’s got a foul mouth,” she added.
“He often takes people’s bobble hats and rips them up with his beak, but no one ever gets annoyed by him.
“People from all over Cardiff visit just to see Rio. Regulars love him too.”
One of the regulars, Joe Relvas, 67, known as ‘The Parrot Man’, has developed a close bond with Rio. He said: “I don’t know why but Rio loves me when I come. He gets jealous when I speak to other drinkers.
“Everybody in the area knows Rio. He’s a beautiful creature. Sometimes he says to me ‘Wassup!’ but he then tells me to f*ck off too.”
Larry Green, 48, a long-time patron of the Clifton, reminisced about his Bulldog’s interactions with Rio, saying: “My five-year old Bulldog, called ‘Chaos’, used to just sit down and stare at Rio. He didn’t know what he was and they didn’t get on but he’s fine with him now.”
He also shared a humorous anecdote about the parrot’s cheeky behaviour: “A regular called Tony comes in and sits in the corner. He’s got a distinctive laugh which Rio overhears and repeats. Tony then tells Rio to shut up, but Rio tells him to ‘f*** off’.”
Reflecting on the past, he added, “Before, my Bulldog, ‘Chaos’, didn’t get on with Rio but he’s fine with him now.”
Landlady Ms Chapman is contemplating a move to another pub, which could mean parting ways with Rio, who could fetch around £4,000. She expressed concern that customers at a new establishment might not take to Rio as fondly as those at The Clifton have.
Despite the potential change, she affirmed her affection for the bird: “He is a stunning, amazing a**hole,” she declared.
