And the laughing, chuckling bird has become something of a national hero. Songs have been written about him, sports teams have been named after him.

Laughing Bird Caye is part of the Belize Barrier Reef, a complex system of coral reefs, atolls, and cayes, or small islands, spanning 300 kilometers (186 miles) and cradling the nation’s coast.

Her pet bird, a blue macaw named Odie, chuckled. "He is laughing at the most inopportune moments," she said.