Blue Crown Conure or Eclectus

JackTheParrotLover

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So, some of you guys may be annoyed with me going back and forth between birds:D. But I've kept with the conure and brought back one of my old favorites, the Eclectus! Most of you guys know my experience, I volunteer at my local aquarium which has birds from budgies to cockatoos and I have a professional bird trainer there who's dedicated to helping me. I am a student, so I have an hour in the morning and around two-three hours after school to spend with the bird. I have a bearded dragon so prepping fresh fruit and vegetables is no problem. I understand Eclectus (eclecti??) need fresh food purely instead both fresh food and pellets like the conure. But like I said, it's not much of a problem for me. This is my first bird, but I know how to handle large birds and I know basic training because of my experience.

So basically to sum it up, is diet the only issue with Ekkies
And should I get a blue crown conure and get an Ekkie ( the bird I really want) after the conure as a second bird?
And finally, why do people put large birds out of the question for students even if they have plenty of time on their hands?

Thanks!
 

chris-md

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Feb 6, 2010
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Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
I've not owned a blue crown but have owned a red throated conure which have similar behavioral attributes.

Ekkie might be more ideal for your situation given that they are more independent than conures.

Diet isn't bad at all. You can make a batch of chop that can give you enough meals for a month or four. Just heat and serve. That's what a lot of people do for their birds, regardless of if they are ekkies or greys or macaws.

That said, given how much time the bird would be in the cage you better have room for a cage that is minimum 6' tall, 3' wide, and 2' deep. You need a LOT of room for an ekkie to avoid plucking issues associated with boredom and stress. If you cannot provide this space, forget it.
 

OutlawedSpirit

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First, because otherwise I'll forget to address it, I think the reason people tend to hesitate when students want a parrot is that things change. Honestly, when I was in school, I never imagined I would be where I am today. Granted, I'm grateful I am because it has allowed me the time for a parrot, but I could have done a complete 180 as well. Once you finish your schooling and really enter the workforce, you never know where you will go. Maybe you'll get the chance of a lifetime to work your dream job. Would you want to have to give that up because you already have a parrot? When first entering the workforce, especially in any type of specialty work, it can be a lot of thankless hours. And I mean a lot. Just because you have time now, doesn't necessarily mean you'll have time 5 years from now when you're working 70 or 80 hours a week. Now, I'm not saying this is what will happen, but you asked why people don't condone students getting parrots, especially large parrots that need hours of dedicated time everyday.

As far as the birds you are thinking about, I cannot say anything really, about conures. I've never had one.

As far as an Ekkie, I think it depends on whether you are looking at a male or female. Not only do they look strikingly different, the have pretty different personalities as well, from what I've seen. I have a female, but I know someone that has a couple males. The males are very laid back and easy going, but they seem much more reactive to stress in their environment.

My female, I think she is a wonderful bird, for the right person. Females are more outgoing and more tolerant of a busy household, but it comes with a price. She has a lot of spunk, and can be quite bossy. If you aren't willing to stand up to her beak, you will get bit. As soon as she learns you are afraid of her, she will take full advantage. It's sort of counterintuitive in that you have to get bit in order to avoid being bitten. She is a very assertive bird, and not everyone is comfortable with that.

I'm hoping someone with a male will chime in and let us know how wrong I am in what I said. :p

I don't think the diet thing is that difficult if you are willing to put the time into researching and preparing the proper fresh foods. Although they shouldn't be a big part of the diet, I think that at least some Ekkies are okay having some pellets. The chicken gets chop and fresh fruit in her cage, but will get pellets on her playstand. I wouldn't jus throw a bunch of pellets in her cage, or half the time she would only eat them. The other half of the time she wouldn't touch them.

I hope at least part of my rambling helps.
 
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JackTheParrotLover

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I've not owned a blue crown but have owned a red throated conure which have similar behavioral attributes.

Ekkie might be more ideal for your situation given that they are more independent than conures.

Diet isn't bad at all. You can make a batch of chop that can give you enough meals for a month or four. Just heat and serve. That's what a lot of people do for their birds, regardless of if they are ekkies or greys or macaws.

That said, given how much time the bird would be in the cage you better have room for a cage that is minimum 6' tall, 3' wide, and 2' deep. You need a LOT of room for an ekkie to avoid plucking issues associated with boredom and stress. If you cannot provide this space, forget it.

I have plenty of room in our house for a large cage like this, although I don't about the price😁 We'll see if I can find one like that
 

OutlawedSpirit

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Okay, I hate to make females sound bad, they have a bad enough reputation as it is. However, I didn't want to mislead anyone into getting a female, realizing how assertive they are and being yet another Ekkie hen that ends up in a rescue.

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chris-md

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Feb 6, 2010
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Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
I want to echo outlawedspirit, and I know I've said this to you before: s/he is absolutely right, parrots aren't ideal for students. Too much unknowns in the future. 1,000,000% agree.

I feel that cage might be a bit small. That cage itself can't be more than 4' (the 63" I believe includes the feet/wheels). Also, at $169 for that size cage, I have reservations about the quality.

Also that open top is far too dangerous. Parrots have died having that perch collapse and he door close on the parrots neck.

My male is very laid back. But he still has some moments when he gets hormonal (I've posted a video here before about how to physically handle hormonally aggressive ekkies if you have to using my own hormonal male as he model). In the last year he has drawn blood a hand full of times. It just comes with the territory. He can also be handled by just about anyone but I swear to god he's racist because the only two people who had issues with trying to handle him were black.
 
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JackTheParrotLover

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Yeah, I wasn't sure about the quality for the price either, I'll keep looking. Idk, I'm just getting ideas for the Eclectus, I may end up going with the conure. And I understand the stance on students with parrots, It's just something I've been researching for about a year now, and I feel like I've learned to much to just turn back. I understand what I'm getting into and I'm just hoping life goes down the right path for me and the bird. But I treat my pets like family and I'm willing to sacrifice things it.
 

chris-md

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Feb 6, 2010
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Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
Yeah, I wasn't sure about the quality for the price either, I'll keep looking. Idk, I'm just getting ideas for the Eclectus, I may end up going with the conure. And I understand the stance on students with parrots, It's just something I've been researching for about a year now, and I feel like I've learned to much to just turn back. I understand what I'm getting into and I'm just hoping life goes down the right path for me and the bird. But I treat my pets like family and I'm willing to sacrifice things it.

This may sound harsh by I swear I mean it in the most supportive way possible because I want you to be able to make some good decisions here:

Have you ever owned a parrot before? If not, then you have NO idea what you're in for. Believe that.

spending the time researching it doesn't mean you have to act immediately. What you have learned stays with you for a more appropriate time when you are in a better place. Its the hallmark of maturity to know what is right for you and what isn't. To say "I've researched l, therefore I must" - if you'll forgive the harsh sound of it - reeks of immaturity and says you may actually not at all be ready for this.

I also note that you've perpetuated what I told you before: you can't make up your mind on a species because you don't know the first thing about a single one of them. Especially if you are trying to compare a little conure with a gigantic ectectus. Given your volunteering experience, it's quite revealing you don't know yet how two very disparate species may or may not fit into your lifestyle. It sounds to me like your volunteering hasn't taught you much yet. How long have you been volunteering for?

I'm still telling you put the damn computer down and continue volunteering and you'll refine your understanding for when you are in fact in a better place.

And this is the last I'll say, I promise. Again I hope you take this small smackdown in the spirit it was given; a wake up call. Not coming for you, just trying to make you realize what you say is not consistent and really betrays you, in my estimation. I just want you to make informed choices is all.
 
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OutlawedSpirit

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Also, after reading Chris's last reply, it made me think about something else. If you have never owned a parrot before, especially a large parrot, you need to think about the fact that they are much like children. Even the more independent species, like Ekkies.

Even when you are in school still, are you willing to sacrifice your own well being for your bird? What I mean by that is, if you're out late studying for the exams you have tomorrow, are you going to sacrifice 2 or more hours of sleep to stay up and interact with your bird? A bird is not going to care if you have exams, or a day trip, or whatever, they are still going to need you to spend time with them. That's not saying you cannot have a social life, but you have to take into consideration that your bird relies on you for all of their social interaction.

I am not trying to tell you that you're wrong, or that you can't do this. I do not know, but I know what having a parrot entails. I, and I'm sure Chris feels the same, just don't want you to jump into something you're really not ready for. In theory, you have to spend so many hours with your bird everyday. However, that is pure interaction time, that is not including food prep, changing papers, deep cleaning a cage, rearranging perches and toys, and probably making toys if you don't want to keep buying new toys all the time when they get destroyed, because they will.

There are enough parrots that are purchased by people that are not ready and hopefully quickly rehomed when their perspective owners realize what goes into a large bird. Those that aren't quickly rehomed turn into the cage-bound, timid, and sometimes aggressive birds that fill up rescues that don't have the resources to care for them either. There are already enough birds like that, we just want to prevent more.

Sometimes even the most well planned, well intentioned bird owners have to give up birds because of things out of their control. This situation is in your control now, so please really give this thought. How much longer are you in school? Maybe you could use the time between now and when you are done to prepare for a bird. You could save up and get the best cage, the best toys, the best stand. Then when you settle into the workforce, you already have everything taken care of, and can just enjoy finding and bonding with the perfect bird for you.
 
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JackTheParrotLover

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Yeah, I wasn't sure about the quality for the price either, I'll keep looking. Idk, I'm just getting ideas for the Eclectus, I may end up going with the conure. And I understand the stance on students with parrots, It's just something I've been researching for about a year now, and I feel like I've learned to much to just turn back. I understand what I'm getting into and I'm just hoping life goes down the right path for me and the bird. But I treat my pets like family and I'm willing to sacrifice things it.

This may sound harsh by I swear I mean it in the most supportive way possible because I want you to be able to make some good decisions here:

Have you ever owned a parrot before? If not, then you have NO idea what you're in for. Believe that.

spending the time researching it doesn't mean you have to act immediately. What you have learned stays with you for a more appropriate time when you are in a better place. Its the hallmark of maturity to know what is right for you and what isn't. To say "I've researched l, therefore I must" - if you'll forgive the harsh sound of it - reeks of immaturity and says you may actually not at all be ready for this.

I also note that you've perpetuated what I told you before: you can't make up your mind on a species because you don't know the first thing about a single one of them. Especially if you are trying to compare a little conure with a gigantic ectectus. Given your volunteering experience, it's quite revealing you don't know yet how two very disparate species may or may not fit into your lifestyle. It sounds to me like your volunteering hasn't taught you much yet. How long have you been volunteering for?

I'm still telling you put the damn computer down and continue volunteering and you'll refine your understanding for when you are in fact in a better place.

And this is the last I'll say, I promise. Again I hope you take this small smackdown in the spirit it was given; a wake up call. Not coming for you, just trying to make you realize what you say is not consistent and really betrays you, in my estimation. I just want you to make informed choices is all.

I'm not mad and understand completely where you're coming from. I'll number my response for organization sake
1. I understand I have no idea, I really do, but nobody who's owned birds knew exactly what was coming, so it's a chance I have to (at one point in life) take.
2. I can see how it came off that way, but it's not what I meant. I apologize. What I mean is it's difficult now that I've committed to finding a parrot for so long, it would be hard to discard it until later on in life. But if it's what I have to do to provide my bird with the best care possible, I'll wait.
3. The reason I can't decide is because there are so many birds out there, and the is the final time - I promise - I'll make the comparison. I want the experience from actual parrot owners of both to see which one fits me better. The problem is the place I volunteer at doesn't have Eclectus or Conures. So it's difficult for me to make the comparison myself without at least hearing about people's good, bad, and ugly experiences with their birds. I wish I could handle these two and find out for myself, but I can't. There's no bird rescues near where I live, the bird show I went to last week didn't have the BCC and they wouldn't let you handle the Ekkies. That's why it's hard for me, I can't find anywhere that ever gets these birds in. And I've been volunteering for a year
4. I will, if you give a reply I'll say my final words and be off for a while. I'll let you know my decision eventually, and as a matter of fact I'm actually volunteering tomorrow-Thursday.
5. Thank you for this, it did help. I realize it's not consistent and I apologize. I think if I decide I will most likely go with the conure, simply because it's always been on my list, it's the only bird that hasn't got replaced with another species. I don't know, as time goes on, I'll gain more experience and eventually make my decision. Thank you for being a help.
 

glutes

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I get it. Parrots are amazing, and the more complex, the more fascinating. However, even as a 16 year old, I completely agree with chris-md about being mature enough. Let me give you an example. I love caiques. I've never met a better bird. However, after several months of researching and learning about them, I know I cannot get a caique. As sweet as they can be, they can be just as monstrous. I could probably get through the battles of a caique, but I know I won't enjoy it. So, even though it's heartbreaking that I'm not getting my favorite species, I am making the mature decision. I am taking advice from the experienced. The smaller conures are constantly being suggested to me, so I spent the day reading about them. Think about the beak. How do you feel about being bitten by a large parrot? Would you like to lose chunks of skin, or would you rather take the small(still painful!) bite from a smaller parrot. Bigger is not better. You are 11, right? Trust me, school gets harder and more demanding. However, so does a maturing parrot.


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JackTheParrotLover

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By the way, how you feel about the caique is how I feel about the bigger birds. I would love a galah, or a green wing. Which is why the Eclectus attracted me, because they're more in the middle, and I may be wrong, and every website I've looked at and book I've read has lied to me, and they're on the scale of the macaw or African grey. But that's why I'm hear. I know I can't own a galah, but I was interested in the Eclectus, just to see if it could be a good fit
 
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JackTheParrotLover

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chris-md

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Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
13? jack you're much younger than I recalled, assumed college age. Maybe a parakeet. Do NOT get a large parrot. I don't even want to recommend a conure for you unless it's primarily your parents pet. This is a terrible idea that has a really high probability of ending badly. Unlike our own Sailboat whose Amazon has been with him since had was a toddler, having not grown up with parrots, you are NOT prepared for all the ramifications of parrot ownership. No amount of research can prepare you for this.

I'm telling you, keep volunteering and being around birds. And above all, HAVE PATIENCE. All good things come to those who wait.
 
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glutes

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13, going into eighth grade





Still, wait for grade 10. It's very demanding and fast paced. This might seem like a strange question, but do you have friends?





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Lol, yes of course



Okay, so imagine this. You are going into the hardest years of school. You want to hang out with friends. Maybe you meet someone who is more than a friend. Now you need a job. You go to school, work, and your free time is spent with your friends. Where does a parrot fit into this? See, I'm in a very different situation and always will be, compared to the average human being. I don't care to explain, but my life is pretty predictable. I don't have social connections other than immediate family, so a parrot would get every bit of my companionship. However, can you honestly say that you are willing to give up on other people in your life for a bird? Do you plan on going to college? Do you want a family? What happens when you have children? There will be no time for a bird until they mature, because, parrots practically are children!


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saracuse

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... having not grown up with parrots, you are NOT prepared for all the ramifications of parrot ownership. No amount of research can prepare you for this.

I'm telling you, keep volunteering and being around birds. And above all, HAVE PATIENCE. All good things come to those who wait.

AMEN! Researching and volunteering is great, its absolutely wonderful that you're dedicated to that. However.... would you say you know how to drive a car just from reading the owners manual? Would you say you know how to reprogram a computer from following a youtube video? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

How do you plan on paying for all of this stuff? IMHO not having any source of income and bringing home ANY animal is irresponsible. You're too young for a job, you cannot depend on your parents if this is YOUR bird, you cannot guarantee that your parents won't lose a job or get sick and become unable to work which will likely result in your bird being rehomed. You cannot guarantee a future for your bird at all. I wish love were enough.

Wait until you're older and more stable.
 

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