How Kiwi the Blue Chicken became a social media celebrity

Keeping Up: Tamara’s Blue Chicken Tamara’s Blue Chicken is actually a TikTok-famous parrot named Kiwi that lives in Dartmouth.

An Indian ring-neck parakeet in Dartmouth, N.S., is bringing joy to people around the world through viral videos.

With light blue plumage, a bright red beak and his signature black bow tie, Kiwi the Blue Chicken got a start on social media when his owner shared a video of the pair online.

“He said ‘I love you’ for the first time to me and it melted my heart. So I decided to post it on TikTok -- instant internet gold,” said Tamara Mercer. “It started going insane. One million, two million, three million [views].”

Mercer says the most common comment fans leave for her three-year-old bird is that he doesn’t look real.

“He just looks so perfect,” said Mercer.

He’s known for his catchphrases, but the most famous is “thank you, baby,” said Mercer.

He can also do a few tricks: high fives, handshakes, twirls and the occasional kiss.

Mercer says fame hasn’t caught up with Kiwi, though he has amassed millions of fans -- 2.6 million followers on TikTok, 177,000 on Instagram and more than 450,000 subscribers on YouTube.

He also has his own talking plush toy that Mercer says she can barely keep in stock.

“I thought it would be kids [who would buy it], and they certainly do, though it’s everyone.”

Mercer says it's a lot of work, but it’s worth it to see the positive feedback from followers.

“[It] makes me definitely happy to know that something this little, an animal, can put a smile on someone’s face.”