75 “When a new one is added, they all flock to him and talk to him. Tell him it’s okay where he is now, I guess, because they always immediately become comfortable and meld into the group,” Erdman says. “By morning, he’s part of the group.” There is a quiet pair of birds-of-a-different-feather Lucky Bird, a triton cockatoo. A row of parakeets rest as they socialize together. www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM that Erdman takes particular joy in caring for each day. Quaker, the Quaker parrot, and Frankie, the green cheeked conure, have become friends despite their species difference — something that rarely happens among birds. They sit side by side in the sun; each with one foot bent in the air, resting steadily on the aviary’s plat-form, a movement Erdman explains is only done when birds are at utter peace. Quaker is the more outgoing of the two; he flies to Erdman upon seeing him enter the aviary, resting his weight on his forearm, whistling politely. Frankie, shyer, hangs back. “Frankie will only approach me if Quaker has already moved to my shoulder,” Erdman explains, “Frankie would go anywhere Quaker would go.” At night the friends nestle closely together, sleeping with their green wings touching. “Night is a scary time for birds. They go from seeing anything to seeing nothing. They feel safer together,” Erdman says. With Erdman’s consistent care, each bird is in a safe, happy envi-ronment — finally able to enjoy the sun and enjoy a long-lasting home. “It’s a lot of work but I know that they’ve been moved around so much. It’s worth it because I know they’ve finally found a place they can call home,” Erdman says. Erdman’s motivation is steadfast as he looks to build up his sanc-tuary with time and money. “The goal now is to build larger aviaries so that the parrots can come and never have to leave again,” Erdman says, “People will soon be able to come in, bring their kids, and spend the day look-ing at the different birds in their big, new aviaries. There isn’t any-thing like that out there.”
2014-7
To see the actual publication please follow the link above