German chancellor Angela Merkel had a joyful meeting with some colorful constituents ahead of Sunday's German general election, media outlets reported Friday.
A flock of Australian rainbow lorikeets was on hand when Merkel took a trip to Vogelpark Marlow bird park, near Rostock in northeastern Germany.
The birds fluttered around the German leader and ate from a small paper cup filled with "lori nectar," made from dried flower pollen, fruit sugar, cereal and water.
Merkel, who has been chancellor for almost 16 years, was on a farewell tour of her home constituency in the northern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
A warm welcome was also waiting in the wings from the park's budgies, who happily ate millet from the chancellor's palm.
She was less keen to take hold of an altogether larger feathered friend — the European eagle owl, the DPA news agency reported.
"No, no. I did fine with the parakeets," she said.
The German leader is set to step down in the wake of Sunday's election, once a new chancellor is chosen.
On the other hand, the Wall Street Journal revealed that the German chancellor blew off U.S. President Joe Biden when he tried to call her shortly after his inauguration as she was spending time at her weekend country house.
The Journal said she "dismissed the symbolism as irrelevant" and asked her aides to set up a call with Biden at a later date.
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