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Looking to get an Eclectus

Beakycheeks

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Erik
Hey everyone. Fairly new bird owner here. I recently adopted a 32 year old LSC cockatoo. And while reading up on all the dietary needs and behavior bios on my new bird I also began seeing how other birds compared. This lead me to Eclectus as pets. It says they are quite favorable and do well in captivity. I absolutely love the colors and all the info I came across sounds like they would be a good fit for me and my family.
A few things I want to ask you all as experienced owners.
Does your eclectus prefer to be an only bird in the home or do they not mind seeing and hearing other birds ?
If you have a pair, can they be housed together safely ?
And lastly, is it typical for the males to have that wild blue color to their wings or is it only certain breeds / genetics that get the blue color
Thanks in advance., BC
I really like this red sided male and want something similar when I get the chance. 23 (1).jpg
 

sunnysmom

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:bump4:
 

Beakycheeks

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:( thanks for the bump, perhaps I just asked too many questions or posted this in the wrong spot.
 

aooratrix

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I'm sure an ekkie person will be along. I have macaws and an Amazon, so I can't help with hands-on experience.
 

Aggie

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Ive had my boy 16 months since he was 3months old. Hes young and socialised so loves seeing and hearing other birds. He also loves being out in harness, away on holidays and visiting people. We do only have him and the dog atm. He will call out to other birds but is always cautious of wild birds. However he flys to say hello to ones in bird shops....guess he knows they're like him.

Parrots are very picky at times with people and their own kind. Sometimes they dont like each other for no particular reason. Our boy loves all of us but the dog is his favorite (the dog lets him do anything to him. Is always gentle. Never sets boundaries...basically the eckie is boss) As for introducing to another bird id be very careful. Size can be an issue between species. And older/younger where the older can dominate. But each is different so the reaction you get will be varied. Huge size difference between eckie and cockatoo. They will need seperate cages and supervised contact. And older eckie might have personality traits that will annoy the other bird. While a young eckie may be easier to mould but care will need to be taken at around 8-13months where they are testing boundaries and then again when they hit sexual maturity as they go through another behaviour change as they're dealing with hormone surges (we are yet to experience this here). The other birds tolerance will need to be factored in also. It would be terrible if someone lost a toe. But in saying that i have many friends with various birds in with eckie and no problems.

I find the eclectus wanting to please but also defiant at times. Full of attitude and heaps of personality. Highly energetic and very playful. There is a little monkey in there as well. Wants attention but only on his terms (ie do not touch him unless its getting dark and he will let you do anything just so he doesn't have to go to bed). Has to sit on you or help you with everything....but just dont touch him. Can be cuddly and smoochy but also very moody at times. We get growled at daily but always behind our backs lol. We have conversations that im sure make sense to him and he has the ability to use many words in context. Sometimes he likes to entertain us and will do things that he knows will make us laugh. Sometimes he picks fights for attention. And occasionally he needs time to himself so will sit in his cage.

We have thought about getting him a female. Everybreeder ive discussed what the best age for this i have had the same response that it doesnt matter as long as they have a say in it. So basically your birds will decide if they get along or not. We have decided not to geta girl at this point so that we are not taking attention away from our boy.

As for the blue on wings. All the ones ive seen of males has the blue. Sometimes its not visible with how fluffed up surrounding feathers are. I have what i thought was SI but hes actually red sided.

Things to consider is the diet needing to be predominantly fresh fruit/veg. Different opinions on pellets and how much seed to offer. Health and behaviour issues such as toe tapping and plucking are often seen. Maybe check out:

"The Good The Bad and The Ugly about Eclectus Parrots" posts.

These guys are great family members. What you put in is what you get back double :)
 

alshgs

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@EkkieLuv can you help? @Chopper
I’m new to owning them, but I also have a female and I’ve heard they are different from males so I can’t help much in that department.
 

Jenphilly

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I'l respond on behalf of the voice of rescues / shelters ...

Eckies are not easy keepers and are not a parrot I would consider as do well in captivity. They are prone to plucking and over preening, often because of their very specific diet needs.

Not impossible to keep a,happy healthy eckie, but they are best for a family or home with a health food conscious personality that happily prepares fresh foods multiple times a day for their eckie.

Again not impossible, but truly high maintenance and very very specific nutritional needs, very little of their diet should come out of a bag.... and one of the best options for dry mix in their diet is Phoenix Foraging mix, read up and check out the costs.

Eckies are gorgeous when in the perfect attentive home, but be prepared for a commitment that is more demanding than the majority of other parrots.

A side note read up on old vs new world parrots and precautions / worries about pulmonary health when the two worlds co exist.

As an Adoption Coordinator my statement to every person considering adding a parrot to the home.... come into the process with an open mind and heart and let the right bird pick you.

Good luck on your adventure and with whatever you decide!!
 

alshgs

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What Jen said is absolutely true. I was skeptical about bringing Peg into our home because I know how hard it can be to keep them happy and healthy, even more so when ours has a peg leg. We’re fostering her for two months to see how well she fits into our life. It is hard. I can’t guarantee where she’ll be at the end of those two months. I prepare fresh food for her twice a day right now, as I haven’t been home for lunch. I have a variety of things so she doesn’t get bored and pluck or pick at her leg. I have always wanted one but the dietary needs have deterred me for so long. That being said, I do thoroughly enjoy having her, but I’m not sure if I can keep her diet up for the rest of my life. It’s a struggle getting up earlier than usual to make sure all of mine are fed in addition to getting me and my kids ready and off to school. I would do all the research possible. Good luck on what you decide!
 

JLcribber

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As a brand new owner of a rescued/rehomed cockatoo you are going to have your hands as full as they can get. You are in a "honeymoon period" however long that lasts (3 weeks to 6 months). When that is over you're going to see the true character of the bird you adopted. My advice is always wait a year to get another bird. This gives you time to establish routines, time for you to truly understand and be familiar with the bird you have now.

Don't bite off more than you can chew. Your plate is full right now.
 

Chopper

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You have a lot to read and think about. I'm not sure what you really want know so I will just say what I have experienced. Ekkies are AWESOME. So are my macaws. Each of my birds have their own cage. I don't recommend caging them together unless you want to breed and then they are picky. They clearly do the choosing. Ekkies have a cooing they do that reminds me of a baby talking to themselves.


Their food. They are best on fresh. Today I got a bag of organic precut veggies that will last a week. Please don't over think it. You can do it.

I don't know they are moodier than my macaws they just act different. They react different too. Ekkies like to watch and macaws like to play. The male Ekkies tend to move around more and clown around in their cages more.

My Kindle is acting up so I'm closing for now.
 

orphansparrow

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Here's an article on the problems that Old World dust can create for New World birds, and how to deal with it:

Why You Should Keep Certain Parrot Species Separated

Also, in my opinion, you've had your bird for such a short time. A year or so isn't that long, and your relationship with your Too will change a lot during that time. I don't have a ton of experience, but my relationship with Duckie, my little Green Cheek, was completely one way in the first 2 years, and totally different in the 7 years since then. I know that Toos are usually considered to be a lot of work, so it might make your life much easier to really get to know your Too first before getting another bird. Just my thoughts!
 

Chopper

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A few things I want to ask you all as experienced owners.
Does your eclectus prefer to be an only bird in the home or do they not mind seeing and hearing other birds ? Mine talk/ed back and forth to the other birds (macaws). I have put them in a different room so they don't get the real loud noise from the macaws. They are a couple of rooms away.
If you have a pair, can they be housed together safely ? Mine are housed separately but when out they will play together. (They played together at the store but I haven't had them out together at home yet.)
And lastly, is it typical for the males to have that wild blue color to their wings or is it only certain breeds / genetics that get the blue color Mine has that beautiful color. Any other males I have seen have that beautiful color. I'm pretty sure that I have personally seen more than one species.
Thanks in advance., BC
I really like this red sided male and want something similar when I get the chance. View attachment 266496
If you want more detailed information let me know.
 

Beakycheeks

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Erik
All these replies are just what I was hoping to see. Thanks a bunch everyone.
A few things, I am in no rush to get another bird anytime soon, so no worries about me rushing and getting in over my head.
I am currently enjoying the addition of my new lsc2 rescue.
No intention of caging an Eclectus with my too, or even in the same room. I am aware of the issues a dusty bird can cause if housed too close to most other species.
The diet needing tons of fresh veggies and fruits isn't too big of an issue, I cook and prep a lot for my current too and could just double the portions which is easy enough.
I however did not realize so many people had issues with Eclectus being pluckers,that's really ashame, then again alot of Cockatoos I see do the same thing.
As much as I love the vivid wild colors of the Eclectus parrots, perhaps an African grey will be a better fit when the opportunity presents itself. Might be better as they are also dusty and don't thrive on as much touchy feely interaction from what I hear.
Altho I know my local rescue is filled with old Grey's who bite hard and no longer like being held and have plucked themselves clean, sort of why I tried to find another species that was more mellow. Eclectus was the first one that I found very attractive and thought they could be a good fit in my home.
 
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EkkieLuv

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Sorry I didn't chime in earlier... it was quite a week and I haven't logged on in several days. You got some good insight. I am very partial to ekkies :) I think they're wonderful! But they are definitely higher maintenance with their diet needs. You have to be prepared for that so I'd take the time to do your homework there and see if it's something you can manage. That said, in my opinion, I think all captive parrots should have the same attention to diet! Diet aside, though, My Tigger came from a bad situation but even so does not pluck. He's a bit of an over-preener but has always stayed fully feathered. Mr. Spock came to live with us a few years after his mama died and there were a few rough years before making it to our house so he did pluck some while going through that and still plucks one area a little bit but is otherwise fully feathered as well. I think ANY species can suffer from loneliness, boredom and stress and turn to feather destruction and even mutilation... and it sounds like you know all that, according to your post above.

Neither of my boys are super needy. They do not like to cuddle, are mostly content to just be close by watching life. They are both flighted. Mr. Spock loves to fly and usually hangs out on top of my head. LOL Tigger likes to hang out on a perch on the kitchen bar and watch me cook - he's my main taste tester so that's how I sneak in stuff he tosses from his bowl. :) They don't seem to mind the other littles that reside in the same room but they do not get to interact with them. They don't get along with each other either!! They chase each other off the play net if they're out together but generally coexist fine as long as they're not cranky :) Other people have had good luck with their ekkie flocks all interacting just fine. I think it largely just depends on the individual birds, regardless of species.

Anyway, have fun getting to know your new 'too!! They are lots of fun! And can also be challenging to keep happy.... I think you're doing the right thing by taking some time and keeping an open mind about what species might fit in best. Good for you for taking in a rescue! ;)
 
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