I was asked to tell some stories of the wonderful 15 yrs I had with this boy. His original name was Ralph, I heard him say it at the breeders a few times before I took him home, however once he was at my house with his new name Karma, he never said his old name again.
My breeder friend had gotten a lot of birds from someone getting out of parrot keeper and he was one of them. He couldn't be used for breeding because he was over weight and didn't show any interest in the female the other person had tried to put him with. He was very aggressive toward people and would actively go after you. My friend called me to come over to look at a Green-wing that had come in with this bunch of birds because she knew I had expressed some interest in them. I got there and this macaw clearly did not like me. We were standing there talking and I hear this excited hello! I went over to the cage and there he was, flashing and so excited to see me. My friend warned me how aggressive he was but I told her I would risk it. He came out and tried to feed me. Two weeks later, (we wanted to see if he would continue to react that way to me each time I came over and he did) he came home with me for good.
He talked better than any bird I had ever heard, even Grey's and in many voices including some Spanish. He cried like a new born baby, not pleasant. He also mimicked a woman's voice pleading not to be hit again, saying I am sorry please don't hit me again. It was AWFUL! It always made me want to know who that man was and kick his butt!
He also knew many songs.. I left my heart in San Fransisco, Happy birthday, Fly me to the moon, Twinkle twinkle little star. He learned new ones at my house such as the Itsy bitsy spider, When the red red robin comes bob bobbing along (I used to sing that to my boys every morning even into their teen years while pulling the covers off them and sometime dumping water to get them out of bed! LOL! The scooby doo song and Phil Collins Groovy kind of love. That was a special one that I taught him because we really did have a special love and bond to each other. I can no longer listen to that song because the night he died he was wrapped in a towel in my lap and sang that song to me and laughed saying what a sweet heart he is right before he passed.
I once had workers on my roof fixing my chimney and he had been in rare form that day singing at the top of his lungs when the guy came to tell me they were stopping for the day he awkwardly asked me if I had a mentally handicapped child and what a happy child he was. No just a happy, silly bird. The guy's jaw dropped to the floor, "that was a bird singing all those songs?" Yep!
I think I told this story but it was so funny (now, not at the time) when I was first dating my now husband Karma's cage was in my bedroom he picked up let's say...some pleasure noises, in my voice! Later after we were married my husband had a bunch of friends over playing poker in the dining room, his cage was in the living room, I was in the kitchen, only way out was through the dining room where every one was. Karma starts making pleasure noises and COMMENTS in my voice. My face was on fire! It went on for over 15 mins I really thought I would die! Of course the guys found it hilarious and my husband came out looking like a god! He also did that in front of my mother once, never in front of my dad thank god! Dad's just never want to think of their little girl in that way and I would have been mortified. My mother laughed!
We had a very large Doberman and we had to train everyone to lock the front door even when we were home because if someone knocked Karma would say "come in" very clear and in my voice and then staring at them would be a very unhappy dobe. The dog was fine when we opened the door and let someone in but he was not real fond of people just walking into the house. Karma would also call the dog and tell him to sit! It wasn't uncommon to walk out in the living room to see Thor sitting in front of Karma's cage waiting to be released from command. Poor dog!
I saved the most amazing story for last. Karma was very polite of my sleep and once he was covered at night he would whisper a few good-nights and kissing noises and then wouldn't make a peep until I uncovered him in the morning, even if he heard me in the living room after his cage was covered he was quiet. I was 26 yrs old and been told earlier that day that I had cancer and would need to have a partial hysterectomy. I had two boys from my first marriage my oldest was 8 at the time, yes I got knocked up young! I was at the time raising them as a single parent after I divorced their father who was truly a pig and slept with every woman in town behind my back before I found out. I lost a lot of friends over that whole situation, it was staggering how many people knew and didn't tell me! So there I was so young and facing never being able to have more children in the future. The lights were out, Karma's cage was covered, my kids were upstairs sleeping and I was quietly crying in the dark when I hear 'I love you Mommy, I'm sorry" This is the first time I had ever heard him put together that combination of words. He got some extra loving and a tear bath. My kids were too young to understand what I was going through and I never would have burdened them with that kind of sadness to them momma was always happy. Karma comforted me in that moment of despair like no human could.
My breeder friend had gotten a lot of birds from someone getting out of parrot keeper and he was one of them. He couldn't be used for breeding because he was over weight and didn't show any interest in the female the other person had tried to put him with. He was very aggressive toward people and would actively go after you. My friend called me to come over to look at a Green-wing that had come in with this bunch of birds because she knew I had expressed some interest in them. I got there and this macaw clearly did not like me. We were standing there talking and I hear this excited hello! I went over to the cage and there he was, flashing and so excited to see me. My friend warned me how aggressive he was but I told her I would risk it. He came out and tried to feed me. Two weeks later, (we wanted to see if he would continue to react that way to me each time I came over and he did) he came home with me for good.
He talked better than any bird I had ever heard, even Grey's and in many voices including some Spanish. He cried like a new born baby, not pleasant. He also mimicked a woman's voice pleading not to be hit again, saying I am sorry please don't hit me again. It was AWFUL! It always made me want to know who that man was and kick his butt!
He also knew many songs.. I left my heart in San Fransisco, Happy birthday, Fly me to the moon, Twinkle twinkle little star. He learned new ones at my house such as the Itsy bitsy spider, When the red red robin comes bob bobbing along (I used to sing that to my boys every morning even into their teen years while pulling the covers off them and sometime dumping water to get them out of bed! LOL! The scooby doo song and Phil Collins Groovy kind of love. That was a special one that I taught him because we really did have a special love and bond to each other. I can no longer listen to that song because the night he died he was wrapped in a towel in my lap and sang that song to me and laughed saying what a sweet heart he is right before he passed.
I once had workers on my roof fixing my chimney and he had been in rare form that day singing at the top of his lungs when the guy came to tell me they were stopping for the day he awkwardly asked me if I had a mentally handicapped child and what a happy child he was. No just a happy, silly bird. The guy's jaw dropped to the floor, "that was a bird singing all those songs?" Yep!
I think I told this story but it was so funny (now, not at the time) when I was first dating my now husband Karma's cage was in my bedroom he picked up let's say...some pleasure noises, in my voice! Later after we were married my husband had a bunch of friends over playing poker in the dining room, his cage was in the living room, I was in the kitchen, only way out was through the dining room where every one was. Karma starts making pleasure noises and COMMENTS in my voice. My face was on fire! It went on for over 15 mins I really thought I would die! Of course the guys found it hilarious and my husband came out looking like a god! He also did that in front of my mother once, never in front of my dad thank god! Dad's just never want to think of their little girl in that way and I would have been mortified. My mother laughed!
We had a very large Doberman and we had to train everyone to lock the front door even when we were home because if someone knocked Karma would say "come in" very clear and in my voice and then staring at them would be a very unhappy dobe. The dog was fine when we opened the door and let someone in but he was not real fond of people just walking into the house. Karma would also call the dog and tell him to sit! It wasn't uncommon to walk out in the living room to see Thor sitting in front of Karma's cage waiting to be released from command. Poor dog!
I saved the most amazing story for last. Karma was very polite of my sleep and once he was covered at night he would whisper a few good-nights and kissing noises and then wouldn't make a peep until I uncovered him in the morning, even if he heard me in the living room after his cage was covered he was quiet. I was 26 yrs old and been told earlier that day that I had cancer and would need to have a partial hysterectomy. I had two boys from my first marriage my oldest was 8 at the time, yes I got knocked up young! I was at the time raising them as a single parent after I divorced their father who was truly a pig and slept with every woman in town behind my back before I found out. I lost a lot of friends over that whole situation, it was staggering how many people knew and didn't tell me! So there I was so young and facing never being able to have more children in the future. The lights were out, Karma's cage was covered, my kids were upstairs sleeping and I was quietly crying in the dark when I hear 'I love you Mommy, I'm sorry" This is the first time I had ever heard him put together that combination of words. He got some extra loving and a tear bath. My kids were too young to understand what I was going through and I never would have burdened them with that kind of sadness to them momma was always happy. Karma comforted me in that moment of despair like no human could.
Last edited:
