Brian Wilson holds one of his rescued parrots Photo: AFP/GETTYA US fireman who lost his power of speech in a traffic accident has been taught to speak again by parrots.
Brian Wilson, from Damascus, Maryland, suffered life-threatening injuries in the accidnet 14 years ago. He also lost his ability to speak.
But he now claims that the chatter of pet parrots confounded the bleak outlook of doctors, who were convinced that he would spend the rest of his life in bed at a nursing home.
"Two birds taught me to talk again," he said. "I had such a bad head injury I was never supposed to talk any more than a two-year-old."
But two of the birds that he had had as pets since he was a child "just kept talking to me and talking to me".
"Then all of a sudden, a word popped out, then two, then more."
To show his gratitude to the birds who helped him on the path to rehabilitation, Mr Wilson has devoted his life to feathered pets whose owners are no longer able or want to keep them.
He now shares his home with about 80 brightly plumed exotic birds, from snow-white cockatoos to scarlet or blue and gold macaws to African grey parrots.
He has set up a foundation called the Wilson Parrot Foundation, which also offers the services of the birds to entertain at birthday parties and corporate events.
"You wonder why I rescue birds? They helped me to talk again, so now I take care of them," he said.