Presumably, Reardon’s inspiration for the work was the famous Monty Python “Dead Parrot” sketch, though that featured a definitely deceased "Norwegian Blue" (but you cannot deny this cockatoo also has lovely plumage). A version of the sketch was filmed in a pet shop on London’s Caledonian Road, so some might wonder why the parrot is not found in that more northerly location. Perhaps it was pining for the Docklands?

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So that's a possibility.