“Parrots are just like flowers. They grow brighter with sunlight and proper treatment. They flourish,” Erdman says. Since October 2013 he has been running his bird paradise, adding it to the list of only five other parrot sanctuaries in the nation. Erdman spends an hour per day feed-ing, cleaning and giving water to each of them, and that’s without the time it takes to socialize with them. “Parrots mate for life, so when they’re pets, you become their mate,” he explains. “They look forward to seeing you. It’s a more intimate kind of care than with other animals, because parrots can’t just walk around. You have to hold them on your arm or shoulder and really spend time with them.” More than a lifelong commitment, parrots live for up to 90 years, and their vast array of personalities make them loveable but time consuming. It is in the sunlight when all of the birds are most active, and when the tinier parakeets become talkative. Thirty-two parakeets have been surrendered to Erdman through families who cannot care for their parrots any longer, or pet stores unable to sell certain birds. In their large, custom-built aviary, Erdman says they are always chirping about something. “I like to drink my coffee and watch them in the morning. I keep thinking, ‘What do you all have to talk about? You’ve been together all day,’ and it makes me smile,” Erdman says. With each one appearing in different combinations of water-colored pastel hues of sky blue and lavender, tinted with butter yellow spots and bright green splotches, Erdman finds them enchanting to look at as they spread their wings and fly across the aviary. Above: Ces Erdman cares for Wickett, a yellow collared mini macaw. Below: The Cape Fear Parrot Sanctuary in Pink Hill is a beautiful, open space that rescued birds enjoy. 74 WBM july 2014
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