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The Good The Bad and The Ugly about Eclectus Parrots

amieserovski

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Maia is a 7 month old female eccie

The good: She is very talkative even at a young age, she says 'hello' in several different voices, she also says 'I love you' and imitates my whistling. She is also very cute and not at all fearful of new people or things. This is good for when I put a new toy into her cage. Another thing I like about her is she's not too noisy, in saying that I did read a lot about parrots and different birds before getting her so I prepared myself for lots of noise. Don't get me wrong she CAN be noisy and her squawk is very LOUD but I find she doesn't do it constantly. Another thing I like about her is she's pretty chilled out and semi perch potato, not all the time but a lot of the time she is happy to just sit on her stand. I just find her adorably cute overall :p

The bad: she is beaky and sometimes treats fingers and ears as if they are toys. She seems to be getting over her infatuation with ears which is good but she is still beaky and sometimes gets a bit rough with the fingers.

Another thing for the bad as that she is not cuddly and doesn't like being touched on her back or head all unless she is really concentrated on something else and for a few moments lets you touch her. She's warming up to be tickled under the wing and on the tummy but the back is still a no go. I would really like to be able to one day cuddle up to her but I understand that some birds just don't like being touched that much. It's most annoying when people / friends come over and don't understand the concept of every bird being individual and not all of them being cuddly haha
 

CaliEckies

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I have both a female and a male and have fostered both. Female is 15 now? - rescue my male is - 14 now? - rescue my fosters were all ages (never had a baby) oldest I have had was 45 youngest was 2 years.

The Good: They are typically quite and keep themselves entertained they are not super needy like a Macaw - they are happy to be in the same room with you they don't need to be with you. You don't deal with the dander as they have a different feather structure. They can have a Fav person but be social in a family as they are not monogamous in the wild their personality allows them to me a little more social when they bond to someone then other types of birds. They talk - if that is something you like but they sound like Elmo.

The Bad- My female will step up to everyone. I have hear some other peoples females not wanting to necessarily go to anyone else but I believe if you socialize them they will go to anyone but have of course their one fav person. Probably their diet would be a negative the fact I don't feed any pellets so fresh food, mash and a high quality diet is a must. I have been able to see the difference in a Eckie within a month or so after going on the appropriate diet their feathers are brighter - they all along look much healthier. Another negative would be the possibility a female can lay eggs all year long - which my female does and the fake eggs do not fool her. My female is cage protective and food protective but not a big deal to me I never put my hand in her cage to get her out I only ask her to step up when she is outside of the cage and I never try and make her step up if she is eating. My female is bird aggressive- she hates all other birds including other eckies but this is just her personality. My male loves other birds. My male is more demanding on time then my female. Eckies can get over weight easily but mine are all fully flighted and fly in their flight cages outside so I don't really have that issue. My male is not a fav of other males (humans) but he does only live with females (humans) so he hasn't been forced to really socialize with them. He will step up on anyone like my female but not a fan of the boys.

The Ugly- Not really sure what would really be horrible about the Eckies... maybe people may hate their flock calls? They don't scream a lot like other types of birds but they do a flock call which is loud when you are not in sight. I honestly don't hear it 90% of the time anymore but I know it startles new people in my home. After living with Eckies for over 8 years it is just as normal as my Macaws screaming for a few seconds a day... they are birds I never expected them to be quite all day or pick up after themselves ...
 

CaliEckies

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One other good thing my Eckies are potty trained so I don't deal with being pooped on :) Huge Plus for me

Both my female and male love being hugged and cuddled and pet and held.
 

blair

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Hi all im new to this forum and I am not sure if anyone still looks at this particular thread but reading through some of the posts I really wanted to mention a few things (though I am sure some already know) just in case they have not come across certain info in their research!
Tami and others looking to add another bird: NEVER allow your birds to be alone without supervision and always secure cages when leaving. If you do or did get an eclectus and have another bird, especially a conure be sure you understand that you Eclectus can kill or badly hurt your other bird. Their intention may not be to kill but their instinct is to warn, and if not heeded one bite from an eclectus is so powerful it can crush the skull of a conure. Eclectus parrots are a little different in the fact that once they bite down, if they still feel threatened they typically only bite down harder.
Its always important to understand that this is very common in the wild and no matter how much some may like to think their parrot is domesticated it simply is not. They act based on their natural instincts, some of which people may not understand. Male cockatoos are notorious for killing their mates, and so are budgies, even conures kill other conures, and so on. Even the best of buds can one day have a falling out or whatever and they turn on eachother. Remember though this is not some evil horrible thing that means birds are evil,etc. just that for whatever reason the agressor felt threatened, scared, angered, etc. and acted on their natural instinct! always take precaution when adding another bird, esp a smaller bird like a conure to a household with a larger bird
 

Birdiemarie

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Welcome Blair. Yes, you bring up important points to keep in mind regarding ekkies. Ruby is very laid-back and when there were tiels in the house I had them share a tree stand under strict supervision a couple of times to observe her reaction. She was relaxed showing no interest till one energetic tiel tried to venture too close to her side of the tree. She didn't move but quietly tightened up her body just a little, pinned her eyes while not looking directly at the tiel who showed no awareness of how dangerously close he was venturing to being bitten. I picked Ruby up off the stand when she slowly started turning her head in his direction when he crossed the invisible line into her space. I know my redhead very well and know she would have quickly lashed out when she felt threatened even though the tiel was not being aggressive at all.
 

amieserovski

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I feel like I have to update once again on my beautiful Eccie girl. It's amazing how much they change and develop over a small amount of time. She is now completely comfortable with me and my mum cuddling her, touching her under her wings and belly. It's great when they begin to really trust you!
 

Birdiemarie

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It IS a wonderful feeling! :D
 

FullyFlighted

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Often when eclectus parrots toe tap, wing flip or even exhibit feather destructive behavior, the cause can be diet. Commercially produced foods and treats with man-made vitamin A are often the problem. Nutrition expert, Dr Debra McDonald in Australia, has written about how man-made A builds up in the liver to the point it causes a cascade of problems, one of which is that it prevents the uptake of calcium into the muscles which results in muscle spasms called toe tapping or wing flipping. The other problem with diet is the use of colored pellets, where the dyes can be so allergy producing that some eclectus and greys actually chew on their flesh to remove the irritation caused by the dyes. So, avoiding things like Nutriberries, Avicakes, too many pellets, and colored pellets of any kind, can be quite beneficial to the health of your eclectus parrot.
:)
 

Juliette

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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). :p 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.
:rolleyes:

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! :D

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).
I think this is amazing , because i heard lots of ekkies are the opposite of velcro birds , and i would love to have a velcro bird haha , not that velcro'ish
But a bird that justs likes toc cuddle , att he moment im thinking of getting a mini macaw ....
Is your ekkies screaming that bad ?
 

surajkjag

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Hi, First time poster here. I have a 5 year old male eclectus. He is an enormous part of our family. We take him to brunches, lunches, everywhere. We recently had twin girls and he loves them, as well as the girls love him. I am the Father, and he, over the years, occasionally would make food for me. I understand that he thinks I am his mate. I guess thats fine and all because it wasnt that frequent. But just this past week, it has gotten rather excessive. He ONLY wants to be with me, not my wife. And within a split second of me holding him, he starts making food for me. IT WILL NOT STOP. To the point where I have to put him in his cage (door open) in the other room to get away from him. But at the same time, he is screaming for me while he is in the other room. Can anyone help me out with this? Is there a solution? Why is he all of a sudden so attached? What can I do?
Thank you in advance.
 

Sunshine1313

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You will probably get more responses and advice if you create an entirely new thread, so the community knows your asking a question. :) @surajkjag
 

sierraecho89

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The Really, Really Ugly: I just wanted to pass along something rather awful that I think all Eclectus owners need to know that I JUST found out (and wish I had known earlier): Eclectus parrots are susceptible to polyoma virus (a deadly and untreatable disease) for THEIR ENTIRE LIVES. In most adult birds, they merely become carriers and shed through droppings and feather dander with maybe some signs IF the infection takes hold. Apparently, ekkies are susceptible their entire lives.

I just recently lost my seven-month-old baby Lu to polyoma virus... and the more I read, the more I wish I'd known this. We decided to board her when our pipes burst so that the antimicrobial spray wouldn't bother her lungs. Ten days later, she fell ill, and died that same day. I don't know if she caught it during boarding (all birds needed a current health certificate, but who really knows how accurate those are with birds) or she harbored it all along, but if I'd known that she could catch this devastating and deadly (but often silent in other birds) illness at this late age in her life, I would have sent her to my in-laws to stay rather than a boarding facility. =(

The Beautiful Good: Happy chattering playtime, monkey sounds sung along to the radio, beak-to-cheek snuggles, obstinate determination, utter excitement to see me whenever I'd wake up or go home, extremely adaptable to new situations, gentle, sweet, loving companion. She never once bit us. Happy flappy showertimes and luxuriating in the blow dryer... playing towel games... I think I'll start crying if I write more, but the beautiful good is endless...

The Bad: We didn't have her long enough to discover the bad.. I hear girls are a little bossy, and I guess Lu was, but she was always gentle and responded extremely well to redirects, so I wouldn't call that bad.
 

Novembergypsy

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The Really, Really Ugly: I just wanted to pass along something rather awful that I think all Eclectus owners need to know that I JUST found out (and wish I had known earlier): Eclectus parrots are susceptible to polyoma virus (a deadly and untreatable disease) for THEIR ENTIRE LIVES. In most adult birds, they merely become carriers and shed through droppings and feather dander with maybe some signs IF the infection takes hold. Apparently, ekkies are susceptible their entire lives.

I just recently lost my seven-month-old baby Lu to polyoma virus... and the more I read, the more I wish I'd known this. We decided to board her when our pipes burst so that the antimicrobial spray wouldn't bother her lungs. Ten days later, she fell ill, and died that same day. I don't know if she caught it during boarding (all birds needed a current health certificate, but who really knows how accurate those are with birds) or she harbored it all along, but if I'd known that she could catch this devastating and deadly (but often silent in other birds) illness at this late age in her life, I would have sent her to my in-laws to stay rather than a boarding facility. =(

The Beautiful Good: Happy chattering playtime, monkey sounds sung along to the radio, beak-to-cheek snuggles, obstinate determination, utter excitement to see me whenever I'd wake up or go home, extremely adaptable to new situations, gentle, sweet, loving companion. She never once bit us. Happy flappy showertimes and luxuriating in the blow dryer... playing towel games... I think I'll start crying if I write more, but the beautiful good is endless...

The Bad: We didn't have her long enough to discover the bad.. I hear girls are a little bossy, and I guess Lu was, but she was always gentle and responded extremely well to redirects, so I wouldn't call that bad.
Oh honey, I am so very very sorry
 

Tailfeathers

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I feel like I have to update once again on my beautiful Eccie girl. It's amazing how much they change and develop over a small amount of time. She is now completely comfortable with me and my mum cuddling her, touching her under her wings and belly. It's great when they begin to really trust you!
I require more photos of your girl :)
 

Morrigyn

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I hope this thread isn't too old to contribute to. I recently took in a female ekkie whose owner was disabled and unable to care for her.

The good: She is the quietest bird in my menagerie. She knows how to say a few things but mostly just sighs when I pet her. She's also the most friendly of all my birds. I can hand her to anyone without worry. She's an absolute doll.

The bad: Her diet is a pain in the butt for me. I always treat my birds to veggie snacks but since an ekkie needs ONLY fruits and veggies, I have to make sure that I have many varieties available to her and differentiate it enough to know she's getting enough nutrients.

The ugly: Nothing! Yet... I've only had her for a couple of weeks but she's definitely proving herself to be an amazing bird.
 

EkkieLuv

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I love these good/bad/ugly threads because it helps people who are new to parrots understand that regardless of species, no two birds are exactly the same! I think there are similarities/characteristics that can be true to most ekkies but at the same time their personalities, habits and preferences make them very much individuals! We have 3 males now after taking in Mr. Spock a few months ago. They are all very different in some respects! So different that I've been thinking about how to list my good/bad/ugly and have a hard time coming up with a single post to cover all 3 of them! But here goes...

The Good: They are such unique birds that are fairly "laid back" and gentle-natured in my experience. They don't create dander/dust like many other species. They're content to just be near you without needing constant, undivided attention. For the most part are pretty quiet. 1 of my 3, Mr. Spock (about 5 years old) is the most playful and silly and also the biggest talker. He likes to chatter and has picked up words very quickly! He loves to fly and does so daily and at length. They don't poop on us! I don't know if we're just lucky or if it's a common ekkie thing?? They are not destructive - at least mine aren't. They seem to be very people-oriented and don't care about each other much. That's good and bad, I suppose. They've all chosen their favorite human for sure.

They seem to be so intuitive and soul-searching and are so smart. They pick up on our emotions and I swear can read our minds! I think they make wonderful companions!

The Bad: 2 of my 3 are very lazy so it is a challenge to keep them at a healthy weight because they don't play much and have to be coerced into exercise. We do daily flights in the house over and over to make Peanut (age unknown but has lived with us since 2008) move. Tigger (turned 10 yrs old in February) does not like to fly - likely due to his beginning in life when he was not given the opportunity - so his exercise is an even bigger challenge. Meal time can be messy! Peanut is very neat but the other two like to fling food! The walls get messy as do their cage trays - and since they get mostly fresh foods, we pick up papers daily otherwise dropped stuff starts spoiling and molding quickly. They also love to dunk their food in their water bowls so they have to get changed more often.

**Some view the Eclectus diet as a negative thing. I suppose if you're looking for quick and easy, keep looking. LOL It takes some planning and some effort but it's not complicated. Due to their unique diet, vets often push pellets and don't quite understand when you tell them they're not getting pellets! My vet - avian certified - asked me for details about ours because they're the healthiest ekkies she's seen. I was honored but disturbed at that - to think of the ones out there not getting proper nutrition and show up at the vet in bad shape. :( So I think diet should be the most highlighted topics of conversation with anyone thinking about an Eclectus!

The Ugly:
I have a hard time coming up with anything *ugly* about these guys! They can have a nasty bite like ANY parrot can have and I have some scars - but turns out it was always my fault so I can't lay the blame on them for that. Spock is the only one who has never done more than gently hold onto fingers with his beak.
Peanut - When he sees someone out of the window or gets cranky because my husband (his chosen one) is not giving him enough attention, he screams a blood-curdling, ear-splitting, glass-shattering, high-pitched scream that will peel paint off the walls.

My Tigger :)
facebook_1447858740742.jpg
 

MzAnneThrope

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...it's NOT Anne ;)
The Good, The Bad and The Ekkie :ekkief:

(As noted by others, these are just my personal experiences with my individual Eclectus, and reflect only her (incredibly adorable) personality. Your results may vary! :D)

My female vosmaeri (who was reportedly previously owned by an elderly woman who apparently took very good care of her, and who thoughtfully toilet-trained her before moving on to her final reward) came to live with me 8 years ago, when she was @ 6 or 7 years old. She is an 'only bird,' and as I am now retired and spend the majority of my time in the room where she resides, a very happily spoiled only bird at that. She is bonded to me, and sees my husband as an irritant to be barely tolerated (much as I sometimes do :roflmao:) - and even that is only provided that he has a treat for her.
I named her Adorabelle, because I think she is!

The Good: 'Dora is wonderfully quiet for a parrot - when I first got her, she would occasionally say "hello" or "hello, Lady" in her weird little Crypt-keeper voice, but other than that, she is generally silent, with the exception of occasional soft vocalizations that I personally love ("goo?" "hmmmm." "who-who-who." "woot.") Once, when I dropped something on the hardwood floor, startling her, she said (quite clearly, in an old-lady voice) "Oh my goodness!" She has made that hilarious exclamation on several occasions when startled by an unexpected sound, but otherwise has not 'talked' in several years (which is good, in my opinion, but then I wasn't hoping for a talker, and prefer a quiet home environment).

She is generally extremely calm and gentle, and has never bitten me (though she did once give my husband an unplanned earlobe piercing when he was laying on the floor and stubbornly disregarding my warnings about her body language and behaviors, which were clearly attempts to drive him out of her territory). Memo to self - ear-biting works!

She is independent without being standoffish, which is a good fit with my personality; I wouldn't want a bird that was constantly needing attention, but she seeks me out when she wants to connect/get some face time, which I am happy to provide, and then when she's satisfied, she shuffles back to her hangout and entertains herself with one of her woodworking projects, preening, or watching her backyard 'cousins' (any wild birds, plus our 4 hilarious hens - Phoebe, Ruby, Rhoda Sue, and Brick).

I find her to be very intelligent - she is toilet-trained, and understands the word 'no' in regard to undesirable behaviors (though sometimes tries to be sneaky, which is pretty funny to watch - her nails click loudly on the floor when she walks, so she's not exactly stealthy).

She is BEAUTIFUL! I truly wouldn't love her any less if she was mud-colored, or went completely 'bald', because her sweet personality is what drew me to her and what I most love about her, but everyone who's seen her has been surprised by how gorgeous she is.

The Bad: Even though my bird makes them only rarely, ekkie alarm screams are an amazingly loud and piercing sound, repeated multiple times, at sufficient volume to make one's ears bleed/shatter glass/wake the dead/cause one to go from a deep REM sleep to standing upright in the middle of the room in bug-eyed terror in less than .05 second. I now know to keep the blinds drawn if there are any large construction vehicles (earth movers, bulldozers) or Public Service bucket trucks in the vicinity, because 'Dora apparently knows that they are operated by Satan. She also can be triggered by seemingly innocuous sounds that she is unsure about, and there are times where she 'goes off' without any apparent trigger, but this is extremely uncommon, probably less than 12x/year (thankfully). It's almost as if she makes up for how quiet she is at most other times by channeling all of that unmade sound into the most powerful sonic blast possible. I really do wonder if it might be the the loudest call of any bird - I have worked with various species of macaws, and they had nothing like this (that I ever heard, at any rate). I nearly jumped through the roof the first time she did it!

The Ugly: When 'Dora eats her favorite food, which is pomegranate, the room looks like a multiple-homicide crime scene out of CSI. To minimize the 'carnage', I feed her on the floor beneath her cage, so there's less spatter to mop up. She is a feathered juicing machine, and enjoys flinging all types of fruit pulp on the walls in her own personal version of a Jackson Pollock masterpiece. (If she had been a male Eclectus, I may have named her Jackson Parrot...:geek:)
 

Robin8888

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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 :dance4:
I am new on here so hope I am posting right. :)
Thank you for this post. I am thinking of getting a Eclectus. I appreciate everyone honesty about this type of bird. I know every bird is different & how someone cares for it makes a big difference. My concern with this breed was the special diet they need.
 

EkkieLuv

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I am new on here so hope I am posting right. :)
Thank you for this post. I am thinking of getting a Eclectus. I appreciate everyone honesty about this type of bird. I know every bird is different & how someone cares for it makes a big difference. My concern with this breed was the special diet they need.
I have some posts that are fairly detailed on diet. I think if you use the search function you could find them. They are wonderful birds and you get into a routine that works for you. No harder than a cocktatoo or grey, etc, just different needs. :)
 

Robin8888

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I have some posts that are fairly detailed on diet. I think if you use the search function you could find them. They are wonderful birds and you get into a routine that works for you. No harder than a cocktatoo or grey, etc, just different needs. :)
Thank you I will check the search for your posts. :)
 
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