San Diego Zoo Centennial

Pancho, a Mexican double yellow-headed parrot, emerged as a vocal virtuoso, delighting audiences with a talent that earned him the title of “premier soprano of the bird world.” So enchanting were his renditions of such classics as “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” that in 1981, the perch-clutching crooner released a recorded single of that Tony Bennett tune, along with “When It’s Springtime in the Rockies,” and “Bali Hai.” Fame didn’t go to his feathered head, of course, and he remained as down to earth and grounded as a high-flying parrot could be. Bravo, Pancho, bravo!