Atlanta Sounds: The Parrot Owner

 In this Atlanta Sound, we meet R. Thomas and his bird Sparkle. Thomas has always loved exotic birds, and keeps a small aviary outside his Peachtree Street restaurant, R. Thomas Deluxe Grill.

Sparkle, a yellow-naped Amazon, lives in a glass enclosure that bears her name in glittery, green paint. Her vocabulary includes such phrases as “Hello!” “Play ball!” and “Happy Birthday!” Thomas received Sparkle on his own tenth birthday. He says her life expectancy is 80—the age he is now—making Sparkle 70 years old. “Maybe she’ll catch up to me,” he says.