The Good The Bad and The Ugly about Eclectus Parrots

[Kimo]

The attributes listed in this thread are the experiences of each individual and your experiences may differ with your individual bird.

I was hoping someone else with more experience woould start this thread BUT I couldnt wait to see some stories so I figured I would start.
Kimo is only 10months old at the moment so I dont have many bad yet.

The good: Ekkies are beautiful, smart, funny, and amazingly intuitive. Kimo KNOWS my moods and can tell right away whats going on in my head (now if only I could what exactly in going on in his ) He LOVES showers, food, watching children, music and shows little fear. Ihave only had him 6 months but so far it has been such a happy experience.

The bad:Not much to say here yet but I think that since he requires fresh food and not pellets etc preparing food and keeping it stocked and fresh is a little more of a pain. As someone who loves to cook its fun for me but for someone else it may not be.

The ugly:I have heard horror stories of ekkies being prone to plucking, toe tapping and wing flipping, cage aggression etc. I feel that this is due to them being different in the way they express body language etc. Ekkies require a different outlook and lots of species specific research to ensure that they are healthy and happy.

Im sure that many of the other members will have more valuable info to add. I just wanted to get the ball rolling

 

[CrazyBirdLady]

Thanks, I have been hoping someone would start an Eclectus thread. I look forward to reading more.

 

[Gomp]

I took in a plucking ekkie and while I wouldn't call it ugly, the plucking is very heart breaking. He began doing it at his old home under stress/jealousy but at this point it is just become a habit. I am always trying new things to stop it, but he is so clever and figures out ways around it!

The good: So freakin' smart! He picks up words super quickly and remembers them. I always hear him say things that came from a discussion the night before and he will say it as clear as day. He can pick up words with meaning very easily too. His vocabulary just surprises me and we often get a good laugh from the weird things he will say. Mine loves to play "basketball". He takes toy balls and creates hoops either with his bowl or toys to drop through. He will do this for long periods of times, hang in different positions, and its always comical to see what contraptions he comes up with for his hoop. He is very loving and is sweet to everyone, while at times he may use his beak to push you away, he has never bitten. Just a total doll.

The Bad: As you said his diet. I spend a lot of time cooking food for him, and the other birds, but I do it mostly because he requires a special diet. It is very time consuming. He also has this 'call' that is super crazy loud . I hear it once in a blue moon, usually if one of the other birds is really annoying him, but it is kind of a yell type of call. If the other birds are screaming he goes 'stop, stop, stop' then he will use the call if all else fails . It works every time though!

The Ugly: Absolutely nothing. Even with the plucking he is absolutely beautiful to me.

With the wing flipping- they do flip their wings often for repositioning. Mine at one point did have a toe tap, but with a healthy diet it has gone away

 

[sodakat]

Wing-flipping, when used to describe the involuntary twitch that Eclectus can experience, has nothing to do with setting their feathers. When Eclectus wing-flip they lift their wings just a slight distance away from their body, keeping the wings folded, then quickly move the wings back against their sides. A very soft, muffled clap is what it sounds like.

No one is positive what causes wing-flipping. Toe-tapping is much more common. I've seen wing-flipping with two of my boys over the 10 years I've had Eclectus. One time it lasted one day. The other time it lasted a week. In both cases the bird was also toe-tapping.

 

[sodakat]

I'll be honest, I'm not too interested in this thread because I think there are too many differences in individual birds.

I hate that this is what people will look at when deciding to get an Eclectus.

 

[DQTimnehs]

I'll be honest, I'm not too interested in this thread because I think there are too many differences in individual birds.

I hate that this is what people will look at when deciding to get an Eclectus.

But experiences from people with Eclectus are their best bet for real honest information that won't be found in books.

 

[carlottalyn]

I've had Riley (SIE) for nearly 3 years now, he was a rehome from a not-so-good situation, and is approximately 7 or so years old now.

The good: He's one of those birds that anyone can hold (not that I let just anyone hold him, but children certainly have with my supervision). He's very sweet to the people that he likes, and is entertaining to watch when he's playing with his toys. He's also an expert flyer, I've never seen a bird swoop, turn sharply, hover and land instantly like he does. He's gorgeous of course, and makes the cutest little Ekkie noises, lots of hmms? etc. He's also very much a velcro bird with his chosen person (me).

The bad: He's a velcro bird with his chosen person (me). He wants to be with me 24/7. He'll be content hanging out in his cage if he can see me, but not very often otherwise if he knows I'm in the house. He has decided that I'm his mate, which I'm trying to discourage, and is extremely hormonal at the moment. He also has decided that he hates my husband, and growls/lunges whenever my husband is near him. He'll even divebomb him, we've discovered. Not so much fun. The fresh diet can also be challenging, I have a hard time sticking to routines and have to force myself to keep up on preparing his food in batches in advance so I'm not stuck doing it fresh every day. Which I currently am lol. And he is the messiest eater ever. Food everywhere.

The ugly: The SCREAMS. Wow. Our Grey has nothing on Riley. And he can go on and on and on and on...it's hard to ignore! I really can't wait till we have a bird room someday...it's gonna be soundproofed.

Overall, I adore my green monster, and wouldn't trade him for anything...but he can be a handful at times!

ETA: I do believe that much of his screaming at the moment is due to his crazy hormones...when he's not this hormonal, he is quiet the majority of the time, and will even talk on occasion (usually if he thinks we're still sleeping).

 

[Theresa]

I'll be honest, I'm not too interested in this thread because I think there are too many differences in individual birds.

I hate that this is what people will look at when deciding to get an Eclectus.

My entire point in starting the concept of these threads was so people could see that each bird is an individual, even within the same species. In my opinion the best way to see that is to read about them from their owners.
I have learned more about my species of choice from owners of said species, than from any dry text, book or so called expert.

 

[sodakat]

But experiences from people with Eclectus are their best bet for real honest information that won't be found in books.

I think people describe their bird, not a species. It's no big deal. I just had to state my opinion.

 

[Theresa]

But experiences from people with Eclectus are their best bet for real honest information that won't be found in books.

Absolutely

 

[DQTimnehs]

I think people describe their bird, not a species. It's no big deal. I just had to state my opinion.

Yes but we want you to describe your birds! You don't have to summarize them into 1 group of Eclectus traits but can describe each separately. Even 8 different descriptions will give people an idea of what one might be like. Information is power.

 

[bicmeister]

So here's my take on living with my Aru Chaucer. He is over 1 years old, and I've had him since he was around 3-4 months old. I love him to pieces.

The Good: He is a docile bird who enjoys sitting, preening, playing with toys. He isn't loud 98% of the time, and he has the cutest baby babbling voice ever. He doesn't appear to be a one person bird, and since I socialized him early, he sits/interacts with other people with no problem. He knows how to amuse himself and will jump or fly to me if he wants something...very independent. He is learning to talk and can say roughly 5 words clearly at the moment. He isn't a heavy chewer, preferring soft woods like balsa, yucca, and thin pine. He loves loves showers. Regarding his diet: I don't find it very difficult to maintain since I was raised on veggies. He eats basically anything and loves veggies, fruits, sprouts, his bean mix, birdie bread, etc.

The Bad: He doesn't enjoy being on the ground, preferring to perch on something -- human or inanimate. He doesn't always respond well to training, most likely because he isn't motivated or he's too lazy. That doesn't mean that I haven't taught him a few tricks or have stopped training him...I just think it takes longer for him to learn a trick. He easily gets bored of toys so I have to find more materials that he enjoys munching on. He is a lazy forager...he goes gaga for unshelled almonds but when I place that almond in a pine forager, he gets disinterested. Chaucer also has a tendency to be nippy and enjoys scritches occasionally. He is a messy eater and flings his foods everywhere. He hasn't plucked or barbered himself, but I am constantly worried that he may start.

The Ugly: He can bite down very hard when he wants; he has drawn blood before. He can also scream loudly, though this is very infrequent that I don't find it to be a problem.

All I can say is this is my personal experience with a young ekkie. We will see if things change as he matures.

 

[Saemma]

I'll be honest, I'm not too interested in this thread because I think there are too many differences in individual birds.

I hate that this is what people will look at when deciding to get an Eclectus.

Sharing personal experiences allows others to consider the multiple possibilities. You may want to consider how many eclectus parrots and their owners could benefit greatly from your wealth of hands on knowledge and experience.

 

[Grammy]

Hmmmm. Thinking hard about this. I completely get what Kathy means - every bird has a different personality and traits such as intelligence, friendliness, and talking ability and their opposites vary widely. But. . . when you read about many male eclectus (eclecti??) who don't seem to be one-person birds (like my Paco) you wonder if maybe it's related to the fact that they are not monogamous in the wild but have a sweetie in several nest cavities all over the jungle (which, come to think of it, also may be related to the fact that they are willing to regurgitate on or copulate with any hand that they come in contact with - in fact, I'm trying to type this and shake Paco from my hand at the same time). How about that really earbleeding screeching that they are capable of -not all of them do it, or do it often, but man, what a pitch. Could it be related to the need to alert all his different far-reaching families? Probably stupid - but maybe not.

I've also heard of a lot of cage and food bowl protective growling and snapping from other people with otherwise completely sweet greenies (I know this is NOT limited to eclectus, but seems to be strongest in my Paco compared with the other guys). They certainly all have food sensitivties (but that's physical). Lots of them go through a Mojo molt like my guy (that's also a physical difference). I've read a lot of Eclectus, like Paco, are not as good at holding things with their feet as other birds are (physical). He doesn't chew wood, preferring paper and string and soft foods rather than hard (physical?) So I'm thinking that maybe a lot of the "traits" that birds of the same species have in common are physically or instinctually related?

My Paco is sweet and gorgeous and the easiest to keep of all of my guys, but I also think, despite the fact that he's learned to talk and loves human contact, he is the least coopted by his association with humans and remains the most "bird-like" of them all too.

 

[PicklesParrot]

The Good: Mr. Pickles is a sweet 1 year old boy. He is so inquisitive and curious. He watches intently every move I make. He so sweet, I'll say "give me a kiss" and he will stick his beak to my lips. He loves to be near me so much that when I leave the room for more than 5 minutes he flys to where I am. He doesnt necessarily want to be right on top of me(and infact wont even sit on my shoulder) but, needs to be able to see me. He is fine just being perched on something in the same room as me. He is wonderful with my husband and just as cuddly. Although he doesnt follow him room to room. As dependent and loving he is with me, he is also very independent. Sometimes when we are watching TV before bed and he doesnt like whats on, he will fly to his kitchen perch(a playstand he is on when I make food) and talk to himself. He only likes scratches under his winds and on his chest or cheek. He only allows top of the head scratches right before bed when he is very sleepy. He loves music and will talk/make noises while its on. Sometimes when I try to put him back to his cage after letting him perch on my arm for a bit he can be stubborn and refuse to step off but that just tells me he is really enjoying my company. He has only bitten me twice and both were my fault. Once I was puttin some millet in his cage and a piece of it fell on the floor, I didnt want him to eat off the floor so I tried to grab it before he reached it. I wasnt fast enough. The other time, he has a stuffed yellow duck he loves and hates depending on his mood. Sometimes he will play with it gently nibbling and talking to it as he does other toys, sometimes he attacks and screetches at it with such anger and hatred you'd think there was a demon in him. I stupidly tried to ask him to step up after one of these demonic attacks to the duck. I guess he was still feeling pretty good about himself after beating up the poor duck he thought he would give me a peice of that as well. All in all he is a good bird. He's very noisy but not normally loud. He's cuddly and both me and husband can handle him in any way, as well as other friends who visit. He can sometimes be a picky eater but I'm still learning his likes and dislikes.


The bad: He is MESSY MESSY MESSY. He flings food all over the place when he eats and gets it all over himself. Ive got to clean his cage every day. It's time consuming. Now this isnt neccessarily bad but it's not like owning a smaller bird who eats seed mostly. When I had parakeets it was nothing to just sweep around their cage once every other day an clean out the whole cage once a week. But with Mr. Pickles, I have to sweep and spot mop every day. I wipe down his cage bars every day. I change his paper underneath EVERY day. I made the mistake of not doing that when I first got him and let the food and poop collect a few days before I changed it ( i had never had a bird like this before and figured I could do like the parakeets) Im still trying to get rid of all the gnats. Stubborn little buggers. Like I said it's not neccessarily bad but if you don't have the time or desire to put the time into a bird like this, then you shouldn't own one. They need lot's of attention, time out of cage(Pickles is only in at night when covered, and when eating, because it reduces mess), and a very specific fresh fruit and veggie diet. Which the diet is also very time consuming. If you're not willing to cook and prepare food for something and you just want to pour premade food in a bowl, do not own a parrot. Especially an eclectus.

The ugly: Nothing really. hes amazing and although him and his diet and needs are time consuming, the joy he brings me makes up for all the work I have to do to keep him happy and healthy. I guess the only thing I can say bad really is that he poops on me. I know, all birds poop a lot. But, I also know he can be somewhat potty trained. I just haven't gotten that part figured out yet. Then again we have only been together a few months. And he is still a baby entering maturity. Im sure in a year or two I'll have some hormone stories but for now... He is simply the most joyful part of my life (besides my husband and wonderfully perfect dog Marli). He truly completes this family and has made all of our lives better simply by being in it. Im honored by the trust and love that he puts in us.


*Before anyone mentions letting the bird in the kitchen while I cook, let me explain. We have a huge kitchen and a pub type room that extends off of it. The perch is in that room, he can see the kitchen and living room from there. Plus I dont use teflon and always have all the windows open and fans on to circulate air as I prefer the fresh air to air conditoner/heater air.

 

[Saemma]

Thanks guys. Good reading!

 

[Tami]

Does anyone have a female Ekkie? I've seen most of the posts about males. I currently have a yellow-sided conure and a blue Quaker. I will be adopting a 6.5 yr. old Ekkie as soon as I find a good cage. Suggestions on finding the right cage please? Any tips to make her adjustment as easy on her as possible?

 

[Milo]

Tami,
search for posts by "sodakat" she has several ekkie girls and has posted about their behavior As far as getting her home, just go at her pace. Allow her to observe you and don't force her to interact if she chooses not to. If you know a favorite treat of hers, drop one in her bowl whenever you pass by her cage so that she knows you bring good things rather than want to eat her!

 

[amieserovski]

Does anyone have a female Ekkie? I've seen most of the posts about males. I currently have a yellow-sided conure and a blue Quaker. I will be adopting a 6.5 yr. old Ekkie as soon as I find a good cage. Suggestions on finding the right cage please? Any tips to make her adjustment as easy on her as possible?

I have a female Ekkie but she's only 16 weeks old and I've only had her for a few days
So far she;s very sweet, still adapting and getting into the routine. She's learning to step up and is getting more comfortable with it. Still a bit iffy on patting but she's slowly coming around. She sits on her perch while we watch television and makes her adorable little noises. Hopefully she'll be a bit of a talker.

I'm trying to clicker train her but she doesn't seem too food orientated at the moment, or I just haven't found something she really loves and can eat quickly.
Anyone have any tips?

 

[birdlady]

My female Ekkie Tara is about 3 1/2 and has been here two years.

Good: so smart, excellent talker, inquisitive, quick learner, excellent flyer, likes both hubby and me, not aggressive towards other birds

Bad: she is a bit of a screamer and if you've never heard an eclectus.scream, omg! It is so much worse than any of the other birds (besides our mealy when he gets going)....I think it is the pitch. The previous owners told me nothing about this of course...lol

But we have adapted to it and I try to keep workng with her to stop. If she is out of her cage, no screaming....



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