B.j's Mind Reading Bird

B.J's MIND READING BIRD

First I shall describe this bit of showmanship from the audiences point of view.

On a table are a pack of cards. A glass of water & a bird in a cloth covered cage.

Ask a volunteer to check the cards. Take the pack & ask another volunteer to select any four cards & suggest that, not wanting to strain his brain you are only going to ask him to concentrate on one of the four cards. Allow the punter to select his one card & tell him you're going to lay them on the table face down, & while he thinks about his chosen card. The bird will read his mind & select the right card.

To show no trickery is involved, the punter can select the position of his card placed in the row of four. Make a big play of not letting the bird hear the punters choice, as you lay out the cards on the table. Tell him to start thinking hard as you take your bird from his cage. As the punter thinks really hard about his card.

To thunderous applause your bird selects the correct card.

The act looks better than it reads, especially with a couple of glamorous assistants.

THE HOW IT'S DONE BIT

For this little bit of patter you will need a bird that enjoys the taste of Peanut Butter or Cottage Cheese with millet (the bait).

Your glass has a little lump of this bait stuck on the side of it.

You secretly collect this bait onto your finger tip.

Bend the four cards slightly along their length to make it easier for your bird to pick them up.

Scrape the bait blob from your finger onto the face edge of the chosen card. & lay the cards face down. In the punters chosen order. The treat blob should facing the bird raised off the table by the bend in the card. Only the bird from his low vantage point will see & smell the tiny blob of bait. Retrieve the card before the bird eats it & show the chosen card to rapturous applause.

Dependent on your birds temperament you can add a little biz or play between the volunteer & your bird

.......... Easy when you know how... Yours B.J.