This is bird note.

Parrots. On ships? It seems nearly every pirate captain in the movies had one.

But the parrot in this story recently went to see on her own.

Horry, a beautiful rose-breasted cockatoo, or gala as they are best known,

set off unseen on a cruise ship from Brisbane, Australia.

The colorful 15-inch long bird was discovered 1,400 miles later as the ship neared New Zealand.

The authorities wanted no part of Horry, although lovely to look at, with rosy pink underparts, pale pink crest and a silver back.

Galaas aren't native to New Zealand. In their Australian homeland, they form huge flocks that make farmers' lives miserable.

The authorities gave the cruise officers two choices. Keep Hari well secured on board

or euthanize her. The ship's officers opted to keep a close eye on Hari, and she lived a contented

life in a deluxe cabin for the remainder of the 14-day cruise. One of the quarantine officers

discovered that Hari had an embedded microchip ID.

So when the ship docked in Australia,

Harri's grateful family was able to greet her as she was escorted off.

The stowaway cockatoo was none the worse for where,

except, as the cruise ship captain acknowledged,

like all passengers, she's gained some weight.

For Bird Note, I'm Mary McCann.