Very strange tale

[The Outlaw]

For those of you on my private forum, this will be old news. However, I don't think I mentioned this on the main board.

On January1, 2006 I adopted a GW macaw named Eenie. She had lived the first 18 years with a family that migrated from California to Maryland. She was placed with a lady who ran a rescue and stayed with her until 3 years ago. After that, due to constant jealous fighting with her own GW, she was given to her husband when they decided to separate.

I got her after that. I've had her for a year now. My real name is Nancy, but I'm usually called Nanny around here for that's what my granddaughter has always called me. My birds call me Nanny or Mom.

That was until about 2 weeks ago. I have been a bottle blonde of the platinum variety for the last 6 years. In 2000, I was a redhead and have been, on and off for decades. I decided to go red again. My birds were bit surprised when they first saw me for none had ever seen me as a redhead. However, they quickly figured out it was still me.

All except Eenie, the GW. From the first day I colored my hair, her relationship with me has changed. It was very good before and now its remarkable. I apparently remind her of someone from her past named Laura or Lora. She calls me Laura now! And, she's even more cuddly than before. I didn't think that was possible, and visitors here will tell you how velcroed to me she is. However, this is astounding.

Once again, today, whenever she wants me, she starts calling "Laura" in a very demanding voice. And, when she's hungry, she says "Laura, apple". That's her universal word for food. That and cracker.

I'm wondering if this kind of thing has ever happened to anyone here? Its so crazy. I like the name Laura, so its fine with me. And, today one of the BGs called me Laura, too. Don't know which one, for I wasn't looking at them when it happened. Isn't that the craziest thing, ever?

[Lisa B]

yep, and greys are known to not like thier owners if thier hair is wet, and appears a different color. I had that problem with Sam. he would try to attack if I approached him with wet hair, and was fine once it dried light again.
the others here have not done that yet.

[The Outlaw]

Lisa:

This goes far beyond that. Its as if I've become a different person altogether to her. All of mine have the occasional color issues. This isn't the same. Its eerie.

I contacted her last owner, the lady, to see if she knew who Laura was. The original owner wasn't a Laura and had dark brown hair. However, according to this person, there was a DIL who she thinks was named Laura and may have been a redhead. She hadn't met her, only the original lady that owned the bird.

This will sound very strange, and I'm really not sure about past life stuff, but its almost like a sci fi movie. Its funny because when I first boarded Eenie in 2005, I told my husband that I knew one day she would come and live with me. And, I waited for a year, passing on several GW babies along the way, until she did. I didn't think it would be for decades, but I always knew she would be mine.

[FeathersNFur8]

I'm wondering if this kind of thing has ever happened to anyone here? Its so crazy. I like the name Laura, so its fine with me. And, today one of the BGs called me Laura, too. Don't know which one, for I wasn't looking at them when it happened. Isn't that the craziest thing, ever?

It certainly does make you wonder what's in their little heads. My story is not as flattering as yours, LOL. I would love to be a Laura, but unfortunately I remind my birds of someone named Peter

Shortly after Kady came to live here, one day in a very clear loud voice he said "Hello Peter" as I entered the room. The name Peter has never been spoken again.
and
Almost a year later, shortly after Kita came to live here, she did the same exact thing, also in a very clear loud voice! She, just like Kady has never repeated the name Peter again.

I have no idea who Peter is. It's not any name that resides at the place I got them from, nor is it the name of the previous owners.

[The Outlaw]

Well, Karen, I guess we'll have to start calling you Peter then. I'm just fine with Laura

[Machelle]

All I have to say is VERY COOL! I do believe in past lives and I think is very possible this is what you may be dealing with. Very very awesome, Nancy!!!!

[Baby5566]

Nancy- I worked at a bird shop a few years ago, and at the time I was a blonde. Well there was a certain Double Yellow Headed Amazon who just hated me, he'd get down on the floor to nip me, he would bite me when I put food in his cage. He just totally hated me. I thought he was just not used to people and attempted working with him, but nothing worked. When I dyed my hair brown after a few months he became the sweetest bird. I had no idea what changed him, he was cuddly, yes a cuddly Amazon! He would talk and sing to me, he was just the biggest sweetheart.
I let it go and trained him and we had the best time, he was always with me. Well one day his old owner came to visit him, so I asked him why the bird was there at the shop and not with him. He said that his girlfriend abused the bird, left him out in the sun, didnt feed him, slapped the cage, flung the bird. That he couldnt have his bird abused so he let him go to the shop. Well turns out, the girlfriend was blonde. So every blonde after that, he just went nuts over, he just couldnt be in a room with a blonde, but with brunettes he was a big sweetie.

[felisdomesticus]

that is really incredible.

The only bit of Scarlett's past that I have worked out is that she was tormented by the children in her first home. She hates them and goes absolutely nuts when she sees one. This morning a family came over to adopt one of my foster puppies and, of course, they brought their two young children. Scarlett screamed bloody blue murder as soon as she saw them and didn't stop until I had put her in her cage at the other end of the house. The son, at one point, snuck down the hallway to take a look at the pretty red bird... and as soon as she saw him through the doorway she started screeching again.

It's funny what they remember.

[Casa Amazona]

Originally Posted by Baby5566

Nancy- I worked at a bird shop a few years ago, and at the time I was a blonde. Well there was a certain Double Yellow Headed Amazon who just hated me, he'd get down on the floor to nip me, he would bite me when I put food in his cage. He just totally hated me. I thought he was just not used to people and attempted working with him, but nothing worked. When I dyed my hair brown after a few months he became the sweetest bird. I had no idea what changed him, he was cuddly, yes a cuddly Amazon! He would talk and sing to me, he was just the biggest sweetheart.
I let it go and trained him and we had the best time, he was always with me. Well one day his old owner came to visit him, so I asked him why the bird was there at the shop and not with him. He said that his girlfriend abused the bird, left him out in the sun, didnt feed him, slapped the cage, flung the bird. That he couldnt have his bird abused so he let him go to the shop. Well turns out, the girlfriend was blonde. So every blonde after that, he just went nuts over, he just couldnt be in a room with a blonde, but with brunettes he was a big sweetie.

I'm glad you were able to get your breakthrough with this 'zon. The guy might have been better off getting rid of the abusive woman and keeping the sweet 'zon (IMO, of course).

[The Outlaw]

Speaking of hair color, I've often felt that most parrots seem to prefer light hair. I always thought that was one reason I had such good luck with them early on. I know many dark haired people who also have the same knack with handling strange birds, but over and over again, I've watched blonde women be able to handle birds they had never met before without a problem. I know that birds have more cones than we do and maybe its more to do with the spectrum of colors we cannot see, but its still fascinating to me.