BLOOMINGTON - Michael Masters was 7 years old and at the Brookfield Zoo when he first saw a blue and gold macaw. "It let out the biggest scream," he said. "I heard it echo. I thought it was cool."

He knew right then that one day he would own one of the big birds that hail from Central and South America.

That day came about 15 years later when Masters bought Chloe at a local pet store for the hefty price of about $1,500.

Chloe wasn't his first bird - he bought an African grey parrot named Sammy about a year earlier. Chloe also wasn't his last bird.

Masters, 29, now has nine exotic birds, including four macaws, an umbrella cockatoo and a blue-headed conure.

The birds rule the roost.

Masters converted his front porch at 1215 E. Oakland Ave. into a tropical paradise for the birds by tearing out the porch floor, building a waterfall and adding hollow concrete trees and rocks. There are radiant heating coils in the walls to keep the birds comfortable in the winter months.

But the indoor space wasn't enough for the bird-loving Masters.

"They need to be outside," he said. "Birds need the sun for vitamins. A lot of people keep them in the basement but that's not good. They're birds. They need to be outside."

So Masters built a 15-by-15-foot outdoor cage on the west side of his corner lot.

It stands 12 feet tall, includes a drain for cleaning and has a lot of tree branches on which the birds can perch. Two decorative fountains and a few palm trees flank the entrance.

While nearby pine trees offer shade and some concealment, the cage and the birds have drawn a lot of attention - from neighbors and passersby.

"I don't know how many people come by here every week," said Masters. "A lot walk by. One guy came by from north Normal."

Sometimes school buses stop and let the kids look at the birds. While most look from the sidewalk, Masters finally had to put up "no trespassing" signs to avoid having people just walk into his yard without permission.

Linda Williams, who lives across the street at 7 Harbord Drive, has noticed a significant increase in traffic since the cage went up earlier this summer.

She and other neighbors initially were very concerned the structure and traffic would negatively affect resale values of other homes in the area.

"I went straight to him and I called the city to see if it was allowable," she said.

Mark Huber, Bloomington's director of planning and code enforcement, said the cage is an "accessory structure" and meets the city's zoning regulations. City code only dictates the number of animals a resident can have and birds don't fall under the legal definition of animals, so there is no limit, he said.

Williams said Masters "was more than willing to make changes." He even painted the cage black so it blends into the surroundings.

The house next door to Williams ended up selling without any problems, and Williams said she doesn't object to the cage now.

Donna Roth said she was attracted to the house at 5 Harbord Drive because of the birds.

"I'm totally thrilled," Roth said. "I love exotic birds. I carefully checked to see if the swing on the porch is in the right place to see them. They're a definite asset to the neighborhood and the community."

Bud Kelley, who lives just east of Masters at 1217 E. Oakland Ave., admitted the bird chatter sometimes is a little annoying, especially because his bedroom is at the front of the house, near Masters' front porch bird sanctuary.

"He asked if they bothered me and I said, 'Yea,'" Kelley said. "But we get along fine. I've never had any problems."

Kelley's wife, Connie, said she doesn't have any problems with the birds.

"I think they're beautiful," she said.

Bloomington Alderman Judy Stearns said she received an anonymous letter from someone complaining about the cage and the noise the birds make. She checked with the city to be sure Masters had a permit but because the letter did not include a name, couldn't follow up with the writer.

The letter didn't come from Lia DeLeon who lives at 1212 E. Oakland Ave.

"I love it," she said of the outdoor aviary. "It's great to see what he has done."

Masters only lets the birds go in the outside cage during the day. He puts them inside for bed about 8 p.m. to ensure they don't get bitten by a mosquito carrying the West Nile virus.

While Masters said he doesn't plan to get any more birds, he isn't finished with the yard. He wants to add banana trees around the cage for an even more tropical feel.