With his scarlett macaw Connie perched on his shoulder and Chloe, a green wing macaw calling shotgun on the handlebars, Steve Smith rides along Bradley Avenue on Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Mike Maloney.You could say Steve Smith’s bike glides along the trails like it has wings — because it does.
On Wednesday (Aug. 15), Smith and his two parrots — Connie, a 20-year old Scarlet Macaw and Chloe, a 16-year old Green-winged Macaw — could be seen out for a bike ride on the streets of London.
What started out last summer as just taking the birds out for a walk soon turned into something more. On a lark one day, Smith decided to try going for a ride on his bike with Connie perched on his shoulder.
“I thought there was enough trust between the two of us that I would try it,” he said. “She loved it and we have been going out on the bike ever since.”
The trio never manage to get very far with people constantly stopping Smith to talk to him and look at the birds.