Auditions held for Pirates parrot

The parrot will appear in the third sequel of the film

Talent scouts are looking for a parrot which may star in the next Pirates Of The Caribbean alongside Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom.

The "feathered superstar" will be required to speak and learn a script. It will also be an official "spokesparrot" for the film.

The chosen avian will have an "outgoing personality" and "screen presence", a spokesperson for Disney said.

The auditions will be held at Disney's office in Hammersmith, west London.

Screen test

Disney executives, parrot expert Peter Bloom, and Mark Harden, the Pirates Of The Caribbean animal trainer, will judge the birds on 16 November.

Mr Bloom said: "Most parrots can talk if they are given the right encouragement... Amazon parrots and African Greys are the most talkative, so anyone that owns one has got a great chance."

Mr Harden emphasised that the bird needs to be well-behaved.

"Obviously speaking is important but, ironically, when on set the most important thing is that the parrot can sit quietly on somebody's shoulder - in this case a pirate - and not muck around with the character's hair, hat or earrings."

Parrots who cannot make it to the auditions can send in a screen test by post, e-mail or video clips over mobile phones.