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| ECLECTUS |
| Scarlett is a red-sided Eclectus and a delight to be near. Eclectus are unique among birds for several reasons. The most evident characteristic is their striking color which is immediately apparent. There are several different sub-species of Eclectus with slight variations on size and color but they are very similar to the untrained eye. However even the untrained eye can easily see the Eclectus species is sexually dimorphic.... or in other words the male and female are two distinctly different colors. |
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| Scarlett showing off for the camera. |
| DIET Eclectus have an uncommonly long digestive tract and they need fiber, fruits & vegetables in their diet. They cannot thrive on a mainly seed or pellet diet. Fruit, veggies, fiber etc. must make up approx. 80% of the total diet. Foods such as apple, pears, melon, orange, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, corn are all good choices but it is important to remember that variety is also a key to a healthy diet. Eclectus require a diet high (not too high) in beta carotene and vegetable protein. Adding foods like cooked sweet potato and raw or cooked carrots are beneficial. Sprouted seed is also an excellent nutritious choice and should be offered. Do not feed ‘store-bought’ sprouts however as these may possibly contain harmful bacteria as well they have less nutritional value than seeds-sprouted yourself. Once mastered, sprouting seeds is very simple ...and economical. CLICK HERE for an instructional page on sprouting seeds. Click Here for even more info on sprouted seeds. WHY FOOD IS BETTER THAN PELLETS FRESH food is important for all species of birds and even more so for Eclectus. Many serious health problems have been reported with the pellet diet when fed to Eclectus and it is best not to feed pellets to this species. If you feel you must feed pellets then please only offer small quantities of a high-quality non-colored pellet along with a wide variety of good natural fresh foods. Colored pellets may cause serious health problems for your Eclectus including seizures (similar to Parkinson’s) and color changes in feathers. (Interesting to note that Parrotlets also suffer health concerns from eating a diet of pellets – perhaps we should reconsider feeding pellets to any of our birds). As a general rule I avoid freezing or micro-waving food for my birds. Fresh is best…. And organic is even better. |
| Eclectus are certainly gorgeous birds and they are even lovelier in person than they are in pictures. They are generally less destructive than other parrot species and are also capable of speech. They can make a very loud noise which could become a problem if one was a ‘screamer’ but generally they are fairly quiet compared to many parrot species….keeping in mind that each bird is an individual. They have – in my opinion – a wonderful ‘rain-forest-type’ call and I love to hear the sounds my Eclectus makes. |
| ECLECTUS QUICK FACTS DIET: 80% fresh fruit, veggies, fiber, sprouted seeds / 20% quality nut/seed mix. LIFESPAN: 30+ years HOUSING: 30" x 30" x 30" cage with daily exercise or larger cage/aviary. PET QUALITY: Moderate to very good. SIZE: Medium size parrot approx 13" 425 - 525 grams NOISE LEVEL: *LOUD *capable of loud noise but may also be quiet and talkative. EXTRA COMMENT: Eclectus have 'different' feathers - almost 'hair-like' and are not as dusty as some other species like African Greys or Cockatoos and may well better suit persons with allergies or asthma. |
| (Eclectus roratus polychloros) |
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| ~ COCKATIELS ~ PARROTLETS ~ LOVEBIRDS ~ CONURES ~ RED BELLY PARROTS ~ INDIAN RINGNECK PARROTS ~ ~ AFRICAN GREY PARROTS ~ GOFFIN'S COCKATOOS ~ UMBRELLA COCKATOOS ~ ~ BLUE & GOLD MACAWS ~ |
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| Fiji Fiji is a male eclectus and he's a very gentle bird. He is such a good boy. Hatched July 1, 2007 and sold off to a pet store when he was just 12 weeks old ....he was bounced from store to store and subjected to several inexperienced people who didn't know of any special care instructions for eclectus. Poor Fiji was understandably upset but yet he is still a wonderful bird. He managed to survive 5 months of less-than-perfect care before a kind-hearted person contacted me to let me know he was in the store. We rushed in to see him and of course he had to come home with me. |
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| Fiji's first visit to the Avian Vet went very well. He was a very good boy - he hollered a bit when the Veterinarian first put him in a towel but he didn't complain at all when he recieved his micro-chip. Micro-chipping is a safe and effective means of identification for larger birds, like Fiji. Micr-chipping has been around for a long time and is becoming more popular for parrot owners. The micro-chip is the size of a grain of wild-rice and is inserted into a muscle located on the breast. Fiji didn't complain of any pain and he is now registered for life. |
| In the event Fiji should ever go missing or be stolen the micro-chip may help him find his way home again. Cats, dogs, zoo animals and many other types of critters have been micro-chipped over the years and tremendous progress has been made in making universal scanners and improved techniques making it an easy and safe method of identification. |
| Fiji is a typical male eclectus - he's good-natured and quite calm. He is learning to talk already and says, "Hi" - I'm sure he'll learn a lot more along the way once Scarlett starts teaching him some of the many many words and phrases she knows. As a general rule Eclectus won't bite as hard as other species might.... they have a gentle way about them. There are some who dont' follow that rule so please always watch your fingers around unfamiliar parrots! Fiji will sometimes threaten to bite but he doesn't mean any harm - it's just a reaction he picked up from being in the pet store. |
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| It just cannot be stressed enough how intelligent these magnificent birds are and how much they need stimulation to keep them happy. They love toys and it's best to offer a few toys at a time and mix them up so that they always have something new to investigate. They like 'foraging' toys where they can search for favorite foods. Proper diet and bathing/misting are a must for keeping them happy and healthy. Misting/spraying should be done at least once per week early in the day (so nobody goes to bed cold) in a warm room. You can also offer a bathing dish - Scarlett loves her bath-bowl and like many birds she prefers to bathe while I vacuum. |
| Eclectus command instant attention because of their striking color - and they have the most wonderful personality to compliment their brilliant color. If you are considering an Eclectus as a pet - please do your homework - ask a lot of questions and pay particular attention to the special diet needs. Remember we are here to answer your questions EMAIL |
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