A Cautionary Tale

By Richard "The Schnoz" Chiger
We know their moods and their behaviors. We know what to expect from the way they are acting. We can predict these actions as well as we know the behaviors of our children or spouses. Well, many years ago I learned that Emma, my redoubtable male yellow-naped Amazon parrot with the female name, is not to be toyed with when he gets over-stimulated. I learned through a scar that my daughter, Shannon, has on her chin. When Emma's pupils start to expand and contract, her tail fans out and she starts making a high-pitched, steady sound .. Walk away; don't touch... Emma becomes a different bird and can be formidable. The other day, I was playing with Emma and she showed all the mood symptoms I have just described. I was kissing her on her beak and then reached down to kiss her breast and ... .boy! ... did I get nailed. She reached out for my face with her foot, grabbed it and bit me on the nose. It hurt!!!!!! It brought back the memory of the time that Shannon was lying on the couch with Emma and the same thing happened. Shannon's bite was a lot worse than mine, but I should have paid attention and been aware of what was going to happen. I didn't and got bitten. Emma, for the most part, is truly a wonderful bird. She is friendly, smart, talks great and sings opera. But, Emma's body language is very indicative of how she is feeling and I should have been more observant and consequently, less bloody. I still love her, but then again, I'm crazy.