Photos show how an Indonesian motorbike mechanic became a macaw trainer

DEPOK, Indonesia (AP) — With two brightly feathered macaws perched on his hands, their long tails brushing against him, Albi Albar Ramli balanced on his motorbike on a Saturday morning before heading off to an open field near his home.

Behind him, six more macaws waited inside wooden boxes strapped to the passenger seat, ready for their training. Ramli was on his way to join fellow macaw enthusiasts from the surrounding area, turning a vacant lot into a lively gathering place for both birds and their keepers.

On the training field, the 33-year-old Ramli taught the birds to fly and return within three minutes when he blew his whistle, in preparation for a competition of obedience and cohesiveness among birds within the group.

Ramli’s passion for birds began in 2018 when he kept small parakeets, but soon he dreamed of caring for larger, more elegant species like macaws. Inspired by videos on social media showing birds returning faithfully to their trainers after flying freely, the 33-year-old decided to leave his job as a motorcycle mechanic to focus on this new path.

That dream became a reality in 2020, when an exotic bird owner entrusted him with Zoro, a striking Blue and Gold macaw. Zoro was the first macaw Ramli trained, and the bond they built was the start of his journey into the life of the charismatic parrots that are native to South America.

Today, Ramli keeps 18 of them in an adjacent part of his home, where he lives with his small family in a rural area of southern Jakarta. It is almost like running a school for macaws.

Each bird has a name and a personality he knows well.

There is Lexus, a Shamrock macaw with a bright red crown, and Wel, a Shamlet macaw marked by vivid orange on its head. They are just two among the hybrid species under his care.

Ramli not only takes care of the birds by feeding them everyday and cleaning their cages twice a week, but he also grooms their feathers to keep them looking bright and neat.

Through this bond, he established himself as the leader of the flock, ensuring that no matter how far they flew in a competition, they would always find their way back to him.

“These animals are no different from humans. Some are quicker to understand what we command, while others take a while to catch on,” Ramli said.

He has never set a specific price for caring for and training the birds, and only accepts what the macaw owners are willing to give him.

With the help of two friends, he has participated in a number of competitions in the Greater Jakarta area. He does it not only to win prizes, but also to show the results of his daily care and training.

“I really love birds. It is like I have a special affection for them. And then there is another thing. I am proud to take care of the expensive birds, which is quite an amount of money that I probably couldn’t afford otherwise,” Ramli said.

Macaws fly past a family on a scooter during a training session in a field in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Budi Suharya celebrates after winning the first and second place for the obedience category during a macaw free fly competition in Sentul, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Macaws fly during a training session in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Bird trainer Albi Albar Ramli holds macaws in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

People watch macaws in flight during a free fly competition in Sentul, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Macaws perch on stands during a free fly competition in Sentul, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Participants release their macaws during a free fly competition in Sentul, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Albi Albar Ramli trains macaws in a field in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Macaw enthusiasts chat as they rest after a training session in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A participant uses a whistle to call his macaw during a free fly competition in Sentul, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Macaws perch on stands during a training session in a field in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Albi Albar Ramli, right, trains macaws in a field in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Bird trainer Albi Albar Ramli, right, with other macaw enthusiasts train their birds in a field in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Albi Albar Ramli, a bird trainer, carries macaws on a scooter for a training session in a field in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Albi Albar Ramli prepares to leave his house with macaws for a training session in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Albi Albar Ramli prepares a macaw for a training session, at his house in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A keeper cleans macaw perch stands in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Macaws fly past a family on a scooter during a training session in a field in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

The White House and a bipartisan group of governors are pressuring the operator of the mid-Atlantic power grid to take urgent steps to boost energy supply and curb price hikes, holding a Friday event aimed at addressing a rising concern among voters about the enormous amount of power used for artificial intelligence ahead of elections later this year.

The White House said its National Energy Dominance Council and the governors of several states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia, want to try to compel PJM Interconnection to hold a power auction for tech companies to bid on contracts to build new power plants,

The Trump administration and governors will sign a statement of principles toward that end Friday. The plan was first reported by Bloomberg.

“Ensuring the American people have reliable and affordable electricity is one of President Trump’s top priorities, and this would deliver much-needed, long-term relief to the mid-Atlantic region," said Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to be at the White House, a person familiar with Shapiro’s plans said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement. Shapiro, a Democrat, made his participation in Friday’s event contingent on including a provision to extend a limit on wholesale electricity price increases for the region’s consumers, the person said.

But the operator of the grid won't be there. “PJM was not invited. Therefore we would not attend,” said spokesperson Jeff Shields.

It was not immediately clear whether President Donald Trump would attend the event, which was not listed on his public schedule.

Trump and the governors are under pressure to insulate consumers and businesses alike from the costs of feeding Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers. Meanwhile, more Americans are falling behind on their electricity bills.

Consumer advocates say ratepayers in the mid-Atlantic electricity grid — which encompasses all or parts of 13 states stretching from New Jersey to Illinois, as well as Washington, D.C. — are already paying billions of dollars in higher bills to underwrite the cost to supply power to data centers, some of them built, some not.

However, they also say that the billions of dollars that consumers are paying isn’t resulting in the construction of new power plants necessary to meet the rising demand.

Pivotal contests in November will be decided by communities that are home to fast-rising electric bills or fights over who’s footing the bill for the data centers that underpin the explosion in demand for artificial intelligence. In parts of the country, data centers are coming online faster than power plants can be built and connected to the grid.

Electricity costs were a key issue in last year's elections for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, a data center hotspot, and in Georgia, where Democrats ousted two Republican incumbents for seats on the state’s utility regulatory commission. Voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City all cited economic concerns as the top issue, as Democrats and Republicans gird for a debate over affordability in the intensifying midterm battle to control Congress.

Gas and electric utilities sought or won rate increases of more that $34 billion in the first three quarters of 2025, consumer advocacy organization PowerLines reported. That was more than double the same period a year earlier.

Meta's Stanton Springs Data Center is seen Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Newton County, East of Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)