About Merlynn The Magic Cockatiel

This site is the online home of Merlynn The Magic Cockatiel, the feathered star of Leigh Hotz's family-friendly comedy magic show in Mesa, Arizona. It collects the whole act in one place: the birds themselves, the routines they perform, the story of how a pet-shop cockatiel became a headliner, and the photographs, videos and news that have gathered along the way.

It is built for anyone who enjoys magic and animals. That means families looking for a show that works for every age, schools and libraries planning an assembly, and the event planners and corporate bookers who need something an audience will actually remember. It is also for the regulars, the people who have watched Merlynn perform a dozen times and want to know what the birds are up to next.

The show is built by Leigh Hotz, a comedy magician with more than four decades on stage, working alongside his wife Mamata and a small flock of cross-trained cockatiels and parrots. Merlynn passed away in 2024, and the role now belongs to Smoky, who performs under the same stage name, with Sky The Quaker Parrot training to share the bill.

Everything here comes from the people who work with these birds every day, and it is updated as the act grows.