I admit, the more I learn about birds, the more I would love to have one as a pet. It would be fun to have a Blue Jay or a Crow, but...as you said, that would be a commitment. (They say the oldest Blue Jay lived 25 years)
That, and probably too much personality...:)
Hahaha...on the base which was my dad’s last duty station before he retired, there was a Navy Chief (Chief Silva) who had a Myna Bird, and in those military houses with no air conditioning where the windows were open any time weather permitted, you could hear the bird from far off.
It only said two things:
“Son of a bitchin dog!”
and
“Meeeeerrrrrrrryyyyy...”
Hahaha, his daughter told me they had tried repeatedly to teach it to say “Merry Christmas”, but that was as far as it ever got! It had that drawn out, truncated word where the drawn out “y” at the end rose in pitch until it petered out! “Merrrrrrrryyyyyy....”
What I meant to say was, I would love to own one, but I never will. (and I understand it is also illegal)