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American Morning

Interview With Owners of Super Bowl Cockatiel

Aired January 30, 2003 - 09:49   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Call it stupid bird tricks, AMERICAN MORNING style.
This here is a cockatiel, and it flew in Qualcomm stadium on Sunday during the Super Bowl to watch the Buccaneers and the Raiders. Didn't have a ticket, but it didn't need one. Sat patiently on the head of a cameraman, and seen at length by the television audience. A lot of families claimed the bird, but it was Juarez family who had lost their bird Rocco two months ago who gave the best description.

It doesn't end there. Enter the Flores family. They saw tape of the same bird the next day with the Juarez family, and they said, Wait a second, that's not Rocco, that's Felix. That's our bird. Well, everything worked out in the end, and joining us now from San Diego, Joseph and Merida Flores, and the Yvonne and Tracey Juarez.

It is nice to have all of you with us. Tracey, let me start with you. What made you think when you saw this bird on television that it was Rocco?

TRACEY JUAREZ, ROCCO'S OWNER: Well, we had lost our bird two months ago, and we live near the stadium, as well as the Floreses, and I just saw him and my heart started beating, and I thought that's Rocco, he looks just like him, and I called my brother...

CAFFERTY: Was there anything different about him that -- didn't he look just like any other cockatiel that you might see sitting on a cameraman's head at the Super Bowl?

T. JUAREZ: No, no, when you have a bird, you get to know your bird and you kind of recognize certain things about him. And he just -- he reminded me of my bird, so...

CAFFERTY: Now, Joseph, the next day you saw tape of this thing and you said, Wait, that's not Rocco, that's -- is it Felix? What did you do then?

JOSEPH FLORES, FELIX'S OWNER: Yes. Well, actually my daughter called me at work, and said Felix was on the television, and Michelle had called and told her that Felix was on the news, and that another family had claimed the bird. And then my daughter said, That's not Rocco, it's Felix. And called me at work, and I had to call the news station and then the police station, and then the Juarezes called me at work and then we made a date, and had to come over, and kind of proved that it was my bird.

CAFFERTY: Now, Yvonne, you had already begun to suspect that maybe this was not Rocco. Tell me what caused you to be suspicious.

YVONNE JUAREZ, ROCCO'S OWNER: Well, he wasn't as aggressive as our bird, but there were just so many similarities, but I thought it was because he had been two months away, and somebody else was helping him to calm down a bit.

CAFFERTY: Maybe -- go ahead.

Y. JUAREZ: Yes, he -- but had a lot of characteristics that were the same, just the same as Rocco. As a matter of fact, they're from the same family, we found out.

CAFFERTY: Oh, they are? OK.

Y. JUAREZ: Yes. They are.

CAFFERTY: Merida, let me get you in here. How did you ultimately decide whether this was Felix or this was Rocco? I understand there was a definitive test.

MERIDA FLORES, FELIX'S OWNER: Right. Well, we could just tell it was Felix because he flew away that day, on Super Bowl day, and I mean, they lost their bird two months ago, and I don't know -- just the shape of his head, he has like a little square box head, I just knew it was Felix. When I saw the shape of his head. When he puffs up, his head looks square.

CAFFERTY: But doesn't he also say something? He talks, right?

M. FLORES: He talks, and he says "pretty bird."

CAFFERTY: Now can we -- is he in the cage again? Will he say "pretty bird" right now?

FELIX, COCKATIEL: Pretty bird. Pretty bird. Pretty bird.

CAFFERTY: There it is.

J. FLORES: Pretty bird.

CAFFERTY: Have you have guys thought about late night with Letterman for this bird? Could be (UNINTELLIGIBLE) show business career.

J. FLORES: Yes, sure. Famous bird.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Famous bird.

CAFFERTY: All right. Now, is the Flores family going to have, like, visitation, can they come over and visit and see Felix if they want to? Or -- I have that backwards.

(CROSSTALK)

J. FLORES: Yes, yes.

CAFFERTY: You will let them come over and visit.

J. FLORES: We'll bring him to church.

(CROSSTALK)

J. FLORES: Yes, we'll bring him to church.

CAFFERTY: I appreciate you all getting together and visiting with us. I know it's early out there in California, but it's a cute story, and I am glad Felix got back where he's supposed to be, safe and sound. Thank you all, have a good day.

Y. JUAREZ: Thank you.

M. FLORES: Thank you.

J. FLORES: Thank you. Good morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 30, 2003 - 09:49   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Call it stupid bird tricks, AMERICAN MORNING style.
This here is a cockatiel, and it flew in Qualcomm stadium on Sunday during the Super Bowl to watch the Buccaneers and the Raiders. Didn't have a ticket, but it didn't need one. Sat patiently on the head of a cameraman, and seen at length by the television audience. A lot of families claimed the bird, but it was Juarez family who had lost their bird Rocco two months ago who gave the best description.

It doesn't end there. Enter the Flores family. They saw tape of the same bird the next day with the Juarez family, and they said, Wait a second, that's not Rocco, that's Felix. That's our bird. Well, everything worked out in the end, and joining us now from San Diego, Joseph and Merida Flores, and the Yvonne and Tracey Juarez.

It is nice to have all of you with us. Tracey, let me start with you. What made you think when you saw this bird on television that it was Rocco?

TRACEY JUAREZ, ROCCO'S OWNER: Well, we had lost our bird two months ago, and we live near the stadium, as well as the Floreses, and I just saw him and my heart started beating, and I thought that's Rocco, he looks just like him, and I called my brother...

CAFFERTY: Was there anything different about him that -- didn't he look just like any other cockatiel that you might see sitting on a cameraman's head at the Super Bowl?

T. JUAREZ: No, no, when you have a bird, you get to know your bird and you kind of recognize certain things about him. And he just -- he reminded me of my bird, so...

CAFFERTY: Now, Joseph, the next day you saw tape of this thing and you said, Wait, that's not Rocco, that's -- is it Felix? What did you do then?

JOSEPH FLORES, FELIX'S OWNER: Yes. Well, actually my daughter called me at work, and said Felix was on the television, and Michelle had called and told her that Felix was on the news, and that another family had claimed the bird. And then my daughter said, That's not Rocco, it's Felix. And called me at work, and I had to call the news station and then the police station, and then the Juarezes called me at work and then we made a date, and had to come over, and kind of proved that it was my bird.

CAFFERTY: Now, Yvonne, you had already begun to suspect that maybe this was not Rocco. Tell me what caused you to be suspicious.

YVONNE JUAREZ, ROCCO'S OWNER: Well, he wasn't as aggressive as our bird, but there were just so many similarities, but I thought it was because he had been two months away, and somebody else was helping him to calm down a bit.

CAFFERTY: Maybe -- go ahead.

Y. JUAREZ: Yes, he -- but had a lot of characteristics that were the same, just the same as Rocco. As a matter of fact, they're from the same family, we found out.

CAFFERTY: Oh, they are? OK.

Y. JUAREZ: Yes. They are.

CAFFERTY: Merida, let me get you in here. How did you ultimately decide whether this was Felix or this was Rocco? I understand there was a definitive test.

MERIDA FLORES, FELIX'S OWNER: Right. Well, we could just tell it was Felix because he flew away that day, on Super Bowl day, and I mean, they lost their bird two months ago, and I don't know -- just the shape of his head, he has like a little square box head, I just knew it was Felix. When I saw the shape of his head. When he puffs up, his head looks square.

CAFFERTY: But doesn't he also say something? He talks, right?

M. FLORES: He talks, and he says "pretty bird."

CAFFERTY: Now can we -- is he in the cage again? Will he say "pretty bird" right now?

FELIX, COCKATIEL: Pretty bird. Pretty bird. Pretty bird.

CAFFERTY: There it is.

J. FLORES: Pretty bird.

CAFFERTY: Have you have guys thought about late night with Letterman for this bird? Could be (UNINTELLIGIBLE) show business career.

J. FLORES: Yes, sure. Famous bird.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Famous bird.

CAFFERTY: All right. Now, is the Flores family going to have, like, visitation, can they come over and visit and see Felix if they want to? Or -- I have that backwards.

(CROSSTALK)

J. FLORES: Yes, yes.

CAFFERTY: You will let them come over and visit.

J. FLORES: We'll bring him to church.

(CROSSTALK)

J. FLORES: Yes, we'll bring him to church.

CAFFERTY: I appreciate you all getting together and visiting with us. I know it's early out there in California, but it's a cute story, and I am glad Felix got back where he's supposed to be, safe and sound. Thank you all, have a good day.

Y. JUAREZ: Thank you.

M. FLORES: Thank you.

J. FLORES: Thank you. Good morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com