Eclectus & Allergies

[Chelwinkle]

Hey all -

Im new to this community, but my husband and I are doing research in to whether an Elcectus Parrot might be a good fit for our household. I do not have any allergies to birds, but my husband does tend to be allergic to animals, birds included. We currently have a hypoallergenic breed of dog (Yorkshire terrier) and she has proven to not bother his allergies at all.

I have read conflicting information about, specifically, whether Eclectus are good for allergy-sufferers.

I have heard both that they are hypoallergenic and that they still cause allergies in people.

I was hoping this community could help clarify this and provide their personal experience about Elcectus Parrots and whether or not they find them to be low-allergen birds.

Thank you in advance for your input!

 

[chris-md]

Hello and welcome!!

I don't generally have allergies to animals but I recall often having reactions to my old conure (didn't understand at the time what allergies were). My ekkie Parker does not flare these up usually. On rare occasions he will fluff up and an unusual amount of feather particles will fly up. I might get an itchy nose for a few minutes after but it disappears quickly.

I wholeheartedly endorse the animal route your going.

 

[Uglow]

Both my wife and I have allergies to various weather changes and stuff. Her list is larger than mine because it spans some foods and dander. We've had Uglow for a few months now and haven't had any reaction to him. The only thing he causes is spontaneous laughter and heart melting. I shower him daily so that might be a good way to keep whatever allergens he might release to a minimum. If you're able to, maybe try visiting with an eclectus a few times before you make a decision.

 

[skylala]

Eclectus don't produce feather dust as they have oil glands. If the dust is causing the allergy, I can see eclectus being 'allergy free' birds. If the dust is not the cause of the allergy and there is some other issue, I think you might still have problems.
The dust usually seems to be the culprit, but you never know.

 

[Anansi]

I think I'd say that eclectus parrots are among the least likely birds to trigger allergies in their people. As mentioned before, they are not powder producing birds like cockatoos, cockatiels or African greys.

 

[Chelwinkle]

Thank you all so much for your responses so far! I'm really optimistic about this and love hearing your experiences. Keep the information coming!