Do you think an Eclectus would suit me??

[Kitty]

Eclectus, help

Hi, everyone!

I'm an ex veterinary assistant and I'm good with animals in general. I've kept birds before but I've never had a parrot. I currently work form home, so I'm in the house all day and have lots of time to spend with a parrot!

I don't have any children and I never will. I live with my partner who loves animals too, we're both vegan, so there's never a shortage of friut and veg in our house either!!

I'm really interested in buying an Eclectus...Do you think an Eclectus would be good for me?

Can anyone offer me some good advice?
What are they like as pets?
Has your bird ever been aggressive?
Are they fun and friendly?
What are your good or bad experiances with these birds?

I know pet ownership isn't all fun and games, there's alot of work to be done. I'd like an all round friendly bird to spend lots of time with : )

Thank you so much for reading. I will really appreciate any replies I get!

 

[mtdoramike]

NO! Because I want to keep them all to myself hahahahahaha.

But seriously, they are wonderful birds. They aren't overly noisy, although they do have a screech that can break glass I think. But they rarely use it. They are more of a talker than a screamer. They can be cuddly and not quite as independant as say and African Grey.

They are VERY smart birds and have a large vocabulary. You have to watch what you say around Eclectus because it only takes a time or two of them hearing something for them to repeat it. They aren't dusty birds. But they are what I would call high maintenance because of their special diet and the fact that they dunk their food quite often in their water bowl. So you constantly have to change out their water 4-5 times a day.

I knew nothing of Eclectus parrots a year ago because they are so few around my area compared to Amazons, Greys or Macaws. But I was given a male Eclectus due to a death in the previous owners family. But after owning one, I have to say they are one of the most perfect birds to own. Mac is potty trained and will only go to the bathroom in his cage or on his playstand.

Now, they require lots of toys like foraging toys to keep them busy. If you have a some what busy lifestyle or noisy house hold at times, a female Eclectus would be better. But if you have a laid back lifestyle and is quiet most of the time then a male would suit you best. Males are laid back birds.

 

[tlouiselle]

I have not one bad thing to say about my eclectus. I love him to death and would not give him up for anything. He is sweet, comical, smart, affectionate, and quiet.

He doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He never has a bad day. He is always happy and sweet 100% of the time.

Everyone who meets him wants a "Stewie". Just last week we were at the parrot store to get his nails trimmed. A family was going to buy a cockatiel but after their kids interacted with Stewie they left with a down payment on a baby eclectus.

The only thing to remember it that their diets are a little more tricky than other parrots. Lots of veggies and fruits. Seeds are only a treat.

Really though, they are WONDERFUL birds. I think everyone should have one. I would take another one in a heartbeat.

 

[MikeyTN]

At first we thought their diet would be tricky but it really isn't that bad. We love ours dearly!!! But they can learn to nip IF not properly trained. As long as you can meet their diet requirements you would be fine. They're one of my top favorite parrots!!!

 

[AngelSeri]

My choice was a SI Eclectus for my first parrot, and I'm extemely happy with him. He's very sweet (although he can get into a mood once in a while) & I'd take another in a heartbeat if my husband would let me. As long as you can feed them a proper diet and give them enough attention, they are great birds. I would strongly recommend one.

 

[Pedro]

My take on eclectus parrots, they would have to be all that & more. I love all mine & i wouldn't change anything about them. They are very independent parrots, can keep themselves entertained for hours. Easy to feed, just a healthy well balanced diet & lots of variety. In fact eclectus can eat almost every healthy food we eat.

My advice is to not have great expectations of what they should be like because you can be disappointed. When eclectus mature along with it comes some problems like screaming, biting & some can be totally out of control. Not all eclectus are like the ones mentioned above. Males & females can be down right nasty & can also inflict some serious damage. That said I am a great believer in learning as much as i can about parrot behavior that way at least you have some idea how to deal with a behavior when & if it arises.

 

[Kitty]

Hi, everyone!
Thank you so much for all your info! You've all been a really big help.

I think I might have found my perfect pet! When I first thought of getting a parrot, I wanted an amazon...Everyone gave me advice not to have one because of the noise, mess and they can be aggressive. An Eclectus seems much more me : )

I'm going to go to a few pet stores and see if I can meet some Eclectus parrots first before fully making up my mind... But from what you've all said I don't think I will be changing my mind!

What age do you think it is best to get one? And from where? a pet store or a breeder? : )

 

[caliopi]

Hi Kitty,
I have an eckie named Puffin who I just love to pieces! There is just something so incredible when your FID says " good morning mum, I love you" when you take off his cover in the morning or when he says, "dad's my best friend" or " do you want a lovely cuddle?" just at the time you really do need one!
I would only ever buy a bird from a breeder but that's for two reasons, mainly because I could see their other birds and how well they are kept and secondly from a cost perspective the pet shops asked for around $800 AU dollars more than the breeder!

Puffin is nearly 3 and for the first three months he did screech a bit and scream but as soon as he learnt "hello" that was it. He talks ALL the time! I nearly died the other day when I was telling him off for not letting me put his food bowl in the cage and he looked at me and said " what did you say, I can't hear you!" I asked my husband where he got that from and he said "it's what you always say when the kids call out from the other room!
Seriously, they are the most wonderful first parrot. Sure you will get the odd nip and yes they can be noisy at times but the love they give you and the sheer joy far outweighs anything else. They are also a good parrot to learn with and build your confidence. We are seriously considering getting another eckie in the next few months as I am besotted with them.

 

[mtdoramike]

I would opt from a breeder every time. They are usually hand fed and interacted with more than one's you see in pet shops that may have been sitting around for a long time and cage bound. Also, I would get one that has just been weaned. You can also check rescue centers near you, they may have one but I highly doubt it. You will rarelt see eclectus in rescue centers.

 

[Kitty]

Great!

I will say I do prefer the idea of buying from a breeder rather than a shop and not just because of the price! It seems a shame that birds in pet stores have to sit around in a cage for so long with people poking at them all day!

I couldn't make up my mind about what sort of parrtot I wanted but I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with an eclectus now : )

The only thing is...Now that I've made up my mind about which parrot species I want, I'm struggling to find some for sale that aren't too far away and aren't a silly price!! I'm prepared to pay a good reasonable amount and I'm willing to travel upto 100 miles, give or take.... I just don't seem to be having much luck with finding one!

 

[wenz2712]

Great!

I will say I do prefer the idea of buying from a breeder rather than a shop and not just because of the price! It seems a shame that birds in pet stores have to sit around in a cage for so long with people poking at them all day!

I couldn't make up my mind about what sort of parrtot I wanted but I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with an eclectus now : )

The only thing is...Now that I've made up my mind about which parrot species I want, I'm struggling to find some for sale that aren't too far away and aren't a silly price!! I'm prepared to pay a good reasonable amount and I'm willing to travel upto 100 miles, give or take.... I just don't seem to be having much luck with finding one!

Hi Kitty,

I did know an Ekkie breeder... I will have a look and see if I can find him again.. I will let you know later

 

[Kitty]

Thank you, Wenz2712!

That would be a very big help!! Gosh all you guys are so lovely and helpful! : )

Please do let me now if you find out!

 

[Pedro]

Kitty, purchasing a young bird approximately 14 to 16 weeks old from a breeder would be ideal.

How ever sometimes older birds come up for sale for one reason or another. They usually are not to hard to settle into a new home if given time.

Good luck with your search.

 

[Kitty]

Thanks Pedro.

I have seen a few online that are looking for new homes. I'm sure some of the reasons they give are genuine... (For example: moving house, the cat is trying to eat it, job change)
However, I can't help but wonder if there’re more reasons for selling the bird than some people are letting on. I’m excellent with dogs and I would never have any dog other than a rescue one...but that’s because I know exactly what I'm doing with dog training and I know I can change a dog’s life. I really don't fancy having a parrot with behavioural problems as my first parrot.

Kitty

 

[Pedro]

Kitty, I can't say for sure why adult Eclectus are rehomed but the reasons could be true. However i do know here when an eclectus is rehomed it is because of screaming or biting. Both a learned behavior & usually can be extinguished by the new owner if they are experienced with dealing with both problems.

Maybe if you go meet some of the more matured guys one might just have your name on him. I adopted a 4 year old male with a screaming issue once here with all the activities of my other birds he stopped that behavior straight away. However he did have a few issues i had to work through. It only took 6 months.

 

[Kitty]

Hi, pedro.
Thanks for the info!
I put a "wanted male eclectus" advert on the internet. Somone has just replied.

He has an eight year old male Eclectus. He would like £600 for him but he's not closed rung. He apparently doesn't have any medical or behaivioural problems. He gets on with other pets and has never been aggressive or bitten but he does scream (the seller hasn't yet told me how bad the screaming is.)

How does that sound???

I've seen some baby eclectus parrots for sale on the internet for £600-£750...Isn't £600 a bit steep for an eight year old bird? :smile005:

If anyone has advice for me please, please help me out!

 

[caliopi]

OMG 600 pound, how much is that in Aussie dollars? I am thinking it is close to $1300? Way too much for an 8yr old. Here a young bird would cost around that much from a pet shop but we paid half that from a breeder and Puffin was handled well from birth.

 

[Kitty]

Hi, Caliopi.
Yes. I think it would be approx $1300!

Over here the babies do sell between £600 and £850... But I don't think I'm willing to pay £600 for an eight year old adult bird!

I would like a hand reared baby...Although I wouldn't mind having an older bird if it seems friendly and If the price is right!

Anyway, I know this might be a bit of a strange question...But I have to ask:
can anyone tell me the difference between a Solomon island, vosmaer and a grand eclectus?
(Those are all the subspecies of eclectus I've seen available in the UK.)

I notice some eclectus have really cute white rings around their eyes and others don't. Is this random coincidence or are the ones with white rings a particular subspecies?

If anyone knows, please tell me!
thanks, Kitty

 

[Enjru]

It's hard to tell the differences between the males of the various subspecies, but the females of the different subspecies have easily recognizable and distinctive features, including:
a) the color of their chest feathers (ie, blue, lavender/purple or red),
b) the presence or absense of blue eye ring,
c) the presence or absence of yellow in the tail
d) their weight and size

 

[Pedro]

The Eclectus Parrot - Graham Taylor (Australia)

This will help.