(The Pens would win the Stanley Cup the following year.) The following year, all three mascots took part in a groundbreaking of an expansion of the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, with Steely McBeam tossing dirt at the Parrot's feet. In 2008, a parody attack ad based on the then-upcoming Presidential election was made to "attack" the Parrot, due to the Pirates then-16 consecutive losing seasons (which has since increased to 24) while the Penguins went on to lose in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Detroit Red Wings earlier in the year. The three Pittsburgh mascots have been known to "fight" each other. In May, 1986 the Pirate Parrot joined in the Pittsburgh section of Hands Across America.
He has been embraced more in Pittsburgh among older fans than Steely McBeam of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and along with Iceburgh of the Pittsburgh Penguins, serves as one of two bird-based mascots in Pittsburgh. He often appears in ads for the team on television. The Parrot has become a staple within the Pittsburgh region, often appearing at events and Pirates team functions. In addition, he dropped the traditional pirate garb in favor of wearing a Pirates jersey and backwards baseball cap. Shortly before the Pittsburgh drug trials of 1985 (see below), the Parrot was redesigned to his current appearance, gaining weight and making him more goofy-looking in order for him to appeal to children more. He wore more pirate-related items such as a captain's hat and vest, and often waved a Jolly Roger around on a flag pole. His initial appearance bore more resemblance to The San Diego Chicken, being thinner and "meaner". That year, the "We Are Family" Bucs went on to win the World Series, with the Parrot serving as somewhat of a cheerleader to the crowd along the way. The Parrot debuted on April 1, 1979, when he "hatched" at Three Rivers Stadium. The character of a parrot was derived from the classic story Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, most notably the one owned by Long John Silver named "Captain Flint". He was introduced in 1979 in response to the popularity of the Phillie Phanatic introduced one year earlier, as the Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies had a fierce intrastate rivalry at the time. He is often seen dancing on the dugouts and shooting hot dogs from a cannon. He is a large green parrot who wears a Pirates jersey and cap. The Pirate Parrot is the mascot of the Pittsburgh Pirates, debuting in 1979.
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