Hasbro FurReal Friends Squawkers McCaw Parrot Reviews

• Amazing Animatronic Parrot

  
  By A1EARN5PUVIF1S on 2007-11-14
  Wow, Squawkers rocks the house! Toy historians may recall a Marx animated talking parrot in the sixties containing a mechanism that tape recorded your voice onto a twenty-second loop. You can see the Marx parrot in the great caper movie "Topkapi". Still the Marx parrot was a dumb bunny compared to Squawkers, who really is more of a parrot simulator than a bar trick. Squawkers is quite realistic, funny, and unpredictable. You can record your own sayings, which Squawkers will repeat, with mouth synchronization, in his parrot voice. He dances, to your music or his own. He will repeat things you say to him (rude things too, to be sure -- the instructions of course include a paragraph almost all will ignore advising you to maintain a politically correct parrot in case minors or persons easily offended encounter your bird). Squawkers also responds to a remote control with more commands, including laughing, squawking, and, yes, farting, although he does excuse himself after the last. And the animatronics here are impressive, especially for the money. His eyes and beak open and shut, his head turns, he leans from side to side and flaps his wings, and he sports a full complement of light, infrared, and touch sensors, including a tongue sensor that can detect the plastic cracker you feed him when he gets hungry. In sum, this toy is FAR too good just for kids -- the box says "AGES 5 to 105", and that's more like it. The box also says Squawkers is "the real McCaw" and claims he's "A bird to be heard". He is all that and more. Worth spending fifteen bucks on four rechargeable AA NiMH batteries, I'd say, and I think you'll agree that he's a welcome addition to any office, dorm room, or household. HIGHLY recommended, and the best toy I've seen since Hasbro's own Interactive R2D2 and the SpinMaster Reflex Indoor Helicopter...
  
  

• I love my bird!!!

  
  By A11B0Q1WZMHYMY on 2007-08-20
  This is a very cute toy that i bought this as soon as i found it. Beautiful colors (even though i hope they will make one in red)
  dances, repeats anything you say (in the parrots voice),,squawks, whistles,laughs and "coo's when petted. responds to sayings such as hello, pretty bird, i love you,give me a kiss and what cha doin . eyes blink and it dances too. very realistic, entertaining and no mess to clean up .
  
  

• Expensive and sitting on a shelf now

  
  By A1D5Z9WRRPORH9 on 2007-09-10
  It would be an understatement to say that my 8 yr old child is into animals. She saw this item and decided she HAD to have it. I told her she had to buy it herself. She pulled a fast one and somehow managed to garner the funds to purchase this expensive thing. I decided to use it as a learning life lesson and let her spend her money on it. As the mother in me predicted - this is one of those toys that the novelty wore off REALLY FAST. For 3 days she played with the seventy dollar parrot, enthralled with it in fact. Now it sits on a shelf - to be brought out when friends come over to admire it and thats about it.
  
  Its very colorful. It is rather loud. It does what it says it will do as far as sing/dance/repeating phrases. If you are spending your money, I say skip it. I would guess it will end up on a shelf to be admired by playdates/mates.
  
  Update---its months later..and its STILL sitting on a shelf. Even the friends aren't playing with it now! Webkinz would be a better purchase - they are played with all the time!
  
  

• The Ferby has grown up!!

  
  By AU2IUU2WBJRTQ on 2007-09-30
  We got one of these for my sister, and it was a blast. She LOVED the Tiki Room at Disney World and she wanted to decorate her room in this fashion. Now she has Fritz, and we painted her walls, and got her a Tiki comforter.
  
  The bird was a blast.. I have not laughed this hard in a long time. We had it talking like crazy and it surprised the dog. I think this is ment for about 8 and older.
  
  Wish they offered other Bird, or colors!!
  
  Jessica
  
  

• Loads of fun for younger kids!

  
  By A3CFKHAWZHV3HB on 2007-10-09
  OK, its not really educational, but my kids love it! My 4 year old has figured out how to use the voice recognizer to get it into the recording mode, and he makes fart sounds and says rude things. Makes everyone laugh. I don't know how Hasbro got my kids voices to change to the parrots, but its pretty funny to hear the parrot repeating things in its own voice. Only problem is that it seems to fall off its perch a lot, and it scared my wife one night when she went to get some food in the middle of the night. I guess its motion sensor woke it up and it started talking...anyways, GREAT product.
  
  
• Very clever and fun product
  By A2NVUW4JFGLP1Q on 2007-10-10
  Got this for my Nephew but played with it myself for a couple days before I sent it to him,(it talked to me, what could I do? ;). My sister tells me that this has instantly become his favorite gift and buddy. Very good gift and quite a crowd pleaser.
  
  
• Dead Batteries
  By A2EZC7BB2PBDZQ on 2007-10-19
  The toy is a Christmas Gift - so my review is limited to the fact that it would be a pretty disapointing moment if the toy did not work. If this was not on the shelf for the consumer to play with - how did the batteries arrive dead? Good thing I checked the operation prior to giving.
  
  
• If you like robotic toys this is the one to get.
  By A1VD9LIJL4MQAY on 2008-01-02
  I'm a sucker for robotic toys. Every year it seems I buy one and pretty much every year they disappoint me. Last year I made the mistake of buying the awful 'Tekno' robotic dog and I promised myself that I wouldn't fall for another robotic toy. But this year when my daughter asked me to get Squawkers McCaw how could I refuse? Sure, I expected it to be a bust, but when a four year-old asks for a Christmas present it's hard to turn her down. Anyway, imagine my surprise when Squawkers McCaw turned out to be a hit - it's the present the whole family most enjoyed playing with this Christmas!
  
  In terms of looks, Squawkers McCaw looks incredibly lifelike. His feathers are just fabric but it has been chosen for its realistic look, and from a few feet away people might be fooled into thinking it was a real bird. The feet, legs and wings and head are articulated and the bird moves in a very lifelike manner. He even has eyelids that blink and close when he goes to sleep.
  
  In terms of what Squawkers McCaw can do, he doesn't walk around like some other robotic toys, but he makes up for his lack of mobility in other ways. He does play a song and dance to it - and he'll dance to any music you play for him, either songs you sing or music on the radio or CD. He responds to stroking by cooing and wriggling. He also eats a rubber cracker treat (it's sometimes fun to feed him too much, which makes him start hiccuping). Mostly though, he listens, shuffles on his perch (very realistically I might add) and speaks. He has a rather large number of pre-programmed phrases and responses. When he's switched on he will squawk random phrases every now and then if he hears activity around him. If he's left alone he will go into a 'sleep mode' and power down for a while, waking up every ten minutes to listen for activity. He is programmed to respond to certain phrases with two or three responses per phrase - so you never know which phrase he'll respond with. For example, when you ask him "Whatchya doin?" he could respond with either "Chillin!" or "Talking to you!" I find this to be a little more fun than just one response per phrase.
  
  A really fun feature is that you can record phrases that he'll repeat and you can tie them to a number on the remote keypad. My daughter uses this a lot. Also, he will play these phrases as a part of his random phrase vocabulary, which is a neat feature. Also, you can program in a few custom phrases and responses, meaning that these responses become unique to him. In my view this level of customizability takes Squawkers McCaw beyond the realm of a mere plaything and makes him your own interactive 'pet' with a vocabulary that is unique and individual to you.
  
  Speaking of programming in unique phrases and responses, Squawkers McCaw's voice sounds very realistic. When you set it to record phrases it actually records them in a higher-pitched 'squawky' voice rather than your own voice so you actually don't have to say the phrases in 'parrot talk' - it translates them for you. One of the best things about it is that unlike a real bird it's not too loud. It's loud enough but not so loud that it's aggravating.
  
  My daughter has had this toy for a week and a half now and she has played with it every day since Christmas day. That's pretty good going for the kind of toy I'd usually expect her to play with for five minutes and then forget about. Not only has she played with it every day, but I think I have too. It's that charming! It's sometimes hard for me to give it up when we both want to play with Squawkers at the same time.
  
  One minor criticism I have is that Squawkers doesn't always stay securely on his perch. When he's dancing the mechanism that attaches him to the branch can work loose. He's never actually fallen off the perch yet, but it's a possibility that people should be aware of. Fortunately the feet are articulated so that Squawkers can stand on a flat surface too. I suggest storing him on his perch when he's not switched on and perhaps standing him on a flat surface when he's in use. Although he seems fairly robust I wouldn't want to see him fall off a shelf or table.
  
  Some reviewers have said that the bird doesn't respond well to commands. In my experience it responds very well, but it does have trouble if the room is not quiet. In a quiet room I've found that if you speak directly to him in a normal voice from two or three feet away he will respond about 90% of the time, which is pretty darn good for this type of toy. With some robotic toys I've owned I'll be lucky if they respond 20% of the time.
  
  Another criticism I've seen from a couple of people is that the bird doesn't work at all when they first open him up and switch him on. Something that people should realise is that these toys often sit for weeks on store shelves in demo mode, and the batteries wear down quite quickly. Now I'm sure that some toys are defective - there's always a small minority that get damaged or that just don't work for some other reason - but in my opinion this toy is extremely well made and I suspect a lot of problems that people are having in this regard are from defective batteries or from the original batteries wearing out before purchase.
  
  As other reviewers have said, if it's to be a surprise present, take the bird out of its packaging first and switch it off or remove its batteries (or just keep it somewhere well out of earshot of the gift recipient) otherwise it will give itself away.
  
  All-in-all, Squawkers McCaw is one of the best Christmas presents I've bought for my child. It actually performs well in everything it's supposed to do. In my opinion it's a great toy and I think I enjoy playing with it just as much as my daughter does. If they release it in other colours I might even buy myself one - it's that much fun.
  
  
• Great Toy....Looks so lifelike its unbelievable
  By A3SQVZS9NC973H on 2007-10-29
  Bought this for my 6 year old, but who knew how much fun it would be for the whole family. It looks so real that my dogs and cat don't know what to think. I am glad we made the purchase, but the only thing that was a down fall was it was a bit pricey but I guess its worth it.
  
  
• Totally cool bird!
  By AANBQ361WBH08 on 2007-11-03
  Well, I bought six of them - pretty much covers my Christmas shopping. I am still discovering the incredible gamut of things this guy can do. It is so life like. When the first box appeared on my doorstep, it said "Hello" to me when I picked up the box. This is my kind of pet - I don't have to feed it or clean up after it. And it pretty much is OK with all my traveling!
  
  
• Squawkers McCaw is a Blast!
  By A3K5R5PNIJWC9U on 2007-11-07
  I purchased Sqquawkers for a Christmas Present but have had him sitting in my living room until the final day I put the wrapping paper around him. He is so much fun with all of his little responses to light, sound, or motion. The whole family is talking to him all the time. I might have to get another one as he will be missed when his new person takes him home after Christmas!
  
  
• Cute toy, but doesn't function like you are led to believe.
  By A27JW36LL692QF on 2007-11-22
  This toy is really cute, that is it. It doesn't respond half the time. Most of the time it just clearly doesn't understand what you are saying to it. The remote doesn't function properly. This thing is just another massed produced toy, so don't be surprised if it feels cheap. Overall I gave it 2 stars just because my little boy likes it for now, but gets really frustrated when it doesn't do what it is suppost to. (Just for a note: there are no "tough sensors", they are just simply buttons on the head and belly)
  
  
• Unbelievable!!!!
  By A23K9XK4PH3TKU on 2007-12-04
  When I first opened the box from Amazon the parrot said 'hello' and he hasn't stopped entertaining us since then. He feels like a parrot, he moves like a parrot, he looks like a parrot. Absolutely love him!!!
  
  
• Video Demo Review Of Squawkers By AmazingTechProducts.com
  By A3OQXS6UJXNF64 on 2008-03-08
  Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RNYU3HPISJMOW
  
  
• Better than real
  By AD4QJRYAXIR0W on 2007-11-29
  This is a great product/toy....well made, & just plain fun for everyone...my lady friends like it because around them...it acts cute...my buddys like it because around them....he is a rude dude that's always in a randy mood...lol....his speech selector swithes on his back & his programming options make this possible....the device looks sounds & moves like a real parrot....minus the mess.....if you have ever thought about owning a parrot but held back due to the cost, mess & other problems associated with a real bird....then this might be just what you need....i am well pleased with my purchase as this product seems to be warrant a higher price than i paid.
  
  
• Novelty wears off fast
  By A2NZCRHLTFKKCB on 2008-02-01
  I bought this for my 4 year old daughter for Christmas. She really wanted it and when she got it, she was so excited. The product works as advertised and she enjoyed it very much. The only problem is that after about a week or so, it just sat on her dresser. At first she left it turned on, now it just sits there in silence with the switch turned off. Occasionally she will walk by and flip the switch on the back to hear it say hello, she will say 'Hi Squakers", then she turns it back off. While it sounds like a great idea in theory, your kids will tire of it shortly. Had I thought it through I probably could have figured that out myself but it just looked like such a great toy. If you buy it, just be prepared to have a very attractive and expensive talking paperweight.
  
  
• video is inaccurate
  By A2PQGWY5X2MOM7 on 2007-12-10
  The video on the Amazon Squawkers McCaw page gives a false impression of the item: the parrot is, in fact, much, much, much more fun and engaging than the relatively lame video would indicate. This critter has been an ongoing source of delight and amusement since he/she came on board this last week, and he/she represents a real quantum step forward in robotic-type toys.
  
  If this isn't a sold out, completely craze-creating toy by before Christmas, I'll be amazed. We determined we had to get another one, load it up with appropriate messages, and send it to the remaining great-grandmother we have on the planet.
  
  
• Worked for about 5 minutes
  By A2YA5VEPZP9PP9 on 2007-12-26
  Purchased this toy as a Christmas present for my son. Christmas Eve we took it out of box to have it ready for the next morning. At first it worked well and my husband and I thought it was too cute. Then about 5 minutes into our playing with it, it completely quit responding. We thought maybe it was the batteries and changed all 6 of them with no improvement. And before I get the same comment the other 1 star review got, It is off of demo mode and I have read the instructions. We turned it off left it overnight and when we restarted it it worked about 1 minute and started acting crazy again and not responding to voice or remote command. Going back to store today. I do plan to exchange it as my son really loved this thing in the store. Hoping it was just a bad bird!
  
  
• Cute bird
  By A3MNV91GLZ4LFC on 2007-12-30
  My kids (ages 7 and 4) really love this bird. He looks so real! They love to tell it things like "Daddy has a peanut head" and hear him repeat it. They get so tickled! I was very hesitant to get this at first because I thought he was overpriced, but found a decent sale, and he turned out to be worth it. We brought it with us to a family party on Christmas Day and my husbands 80 year old aunt had a great time with it, we had to remind her it wasnt real after awhile! (She kept kissing him on the head!!) Squawkers is a winner! Finally, a decent toy out there in the sea of junk!
  
  
• FurReal Squakers McCaw is Hilarious!
  By A1WAKBTJZWNBPH on 2007-12-01
  We've had so much fun with this parrot. I bought another one for my sister for Christmas. I pre-programed it with my remote to say some things that would really tease her. The perfect Christmas gift especially if you're adult!
  
  
• Squawking About Squawkers
  By A3PIW4YR6FY8W on 2007-12-28
  We bought this toy for our 8 yr old son for a Christmas present. Our entire family is enjoying playing with it. The voices are kind of weird when Squawkers repeats what's said. Squawkers takes on the voice of the person speaking, however in a distorted manner and not as a parrot would speak.
  
  We are enjoying playing with it, but I don't think it's worth the price paid for it.
  
  Can't speak about the toys durability since we haven't had it that long.
  
  
• Part of the family
  By A3KKGLV9G3U7LZ on 2007-12-11
  He is just awsome.. Looks and acts just like a real bird.. I bought it for my daughter and she just loves him.. We always have to walk past the display of them and they always say Hello.. He really interacts with us very well.. Its great walk into the room and he says hello.. Heck he even farts LOL..
  
  
• TOO FUN!!!
  By A1T6SGDATXYSGN on 2007-12-14
  My boys have a large master suite we converted in to a Tiki/Amazon environment.... We originally purchased the parrot to sit on a tree in the corner and had no idea how COOL it was.... He is too fun, colorful, repeats after you, dances, passes gas... YES, PASSES GAS!!!! Hillarious... He is much more than a bird on display - in fact guests have had to do a double take... He is a hoot... I definitely reccomend him!!!!
  
  
• Best Bird Buy
  By A1CANHBHVJLOT7 on 2007-12-18
  I bought this for my youngest son. My 3 older children and I had a blast programing the bird's phrases. We liked the automatic adlib conversations and the fact that you can program the remote to say what you want, when you want it. Everyone at my house can't wait until Christmas morning so they can play with it again!
  
  
• Quite disappointed
  By A38TEH3X3U6G6G on 2007-12-22
  In my opinion, this item is not up to what the manufacture says it is...unless I just got unlucky and got a "lemon". The bird attracts a lot of visitors since I have it out on our screened-in porch, but no one has been able to get it to do the things "they" say it suppose to. Maybe this one just isn't the smartest one they made.
  
  
• 6 year old loves this one
  By A1DVX5K0QA1MB4 on 2007-12-23
  I wish that I had taken it out of the box before I gave it to my daughter - because you can program 6 custom phrases into it. If she had heard the parrot say her name unexpectedly, she would've flipped out! lol! She loves this thing, and has been carrying around with her since she got it. It's a little hit or miss whether you'll get the right response to the things you say, but it's still fun.
  
  
• Interesting....
  By A2UEG74NV92Q7M on 2007-12-25
  I got this in the mail very fast and bought it for my mother...She loved it and so did my nephews... It's detail is amazing.... And I love the way it feels and looks. It looks fantastic....But it is rather difficult to start up. But even when started up. I can see how it can grow boring rather fast. The feeding feature is beyond lame... But as I said, My mother seemed to like it... For the price though... Not worth it
  
  
• Defective toy received
  By A10NWKZ9JK1FTK on 2007-12-25
  I had hoped to present this wonderful toy to my daughter on Christmas morning today as one of her big presents, but once we put in the batteries and tried to make it work, it is stuck in a loop and doesn't respond to the remote. I was even one of those early ordering parents, which didn't help in this case at all. What a huge disappointment! It teaches me to try out any toys I buy online in plenty of time to send it back and receive a new one before Christmas.
  
  
• Great short-term entertainment
  By ABW76J0V39E0 on 2007-12-26
  This parrot is wonderful - it does everything but wash the dishes! However, an adult should definitely take it out of the box and become proficient in the complex operations of the bird before giving it to a child. It's rather large but my grandson doesn't seem to mind hauling it around and he and the bird are, for the moment, almost inseparablle!
  
  
• Fun, but loud!
  By A350W7RXNOWO2V on 2007-12-26
  I bought this at Toys R Us and the thing wouldn't be quiet! I wanted to give it to my child for Christmas but couldn't keep it in the house because everytime a sound was made or I got near it, it talked and sang!
  It was evidently in the "try me" mode and packaged so intricately that I could not see how to turn it to the "off" position or even find the directions booklet unless I opened the whole thing, which would have spoiled the giving of the gift on Christmas morning. I ended up keeping in my car's trunk, where unfortunately my child heard it and thought it was a ghost, so I had to tell her it's a gift I was hiding for her.
  All in all though, it's fun and entertaining but I can't figure out how to lower the volume. Way too loud!
  
  

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