Vocalization

Chikoo

New member
Jul 17, 2012
240
0
Parrots
Chikoo (female Eclectus, 4yrs)
Rumi (male Eclectus, 12yrs)
I have a female Eclectus parrot, and just have a few questions regarding her behavior. I have read that these parrots need to be kept active and busy, or they will become bored, and that they have a lot of energy to burn due to what they would be up to in the wild (foraging and such).

My bird doesn't seem terribly interested in toys. I give her cardboard, and she plays with it for a minute or two, and then drops it on the floor. We have bought her a ladder type toy that has strings and ropes and wood blocks on it, but she just uses it very functionally, and only rarely chews on it. However, I read many parrots owners really get into toys, and everyone talks about how important this is for them.

I notice my bird, Chikoo, simply remains perched, and seems content there. She has a few spots on her large perch where she stands for periods of time. And she will just stand there vocalizing. If I come in (especially if I have food), she will walk down and lean forward on her perch, and step up on me.

She vocalizes all morning and all afternoon. We've been training her out of squawking and screeching. The great majority of her sounds are a myriad of interesting vocal sounds that all sound pleasant. In the evening, around 6pm, she will start to completely quiet down, and not make any sounds until the morning again. Do all of your birds squawk first thing in the morning? I read that eclectus parrots are apartment friendly, but mine seems quite vocal! She is 5 years old, by the way.

Does your eclectus parrot vocalize this much too? Is Chikoo bored, or just a happy and healthy parrot? I just worry that she may be vocalizing so much from boredom, but on the other hand, she seems content just walking on her perch, and sitting high in her special spots.

What are your birds like throughout the day?
 
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cdog

New member
Feb 20, 2012
1,489
0
Newbury Park, CA
Parrots
Sully-2 year old cinnamon and Bella-3 year old normal
breeding pair of gcc, Scooter & BeeBee-Sully and Bella's normal son's, Rosey- Bella and Sully's cinnamon daughter, Ella & Sunny-American budgies
All parrots make noise first thing in the morning and right before they go to sleep at night, it's when they make most of their noise. I don't know much about eclectus but she deftinetley needs toys, all different kinds of toys. It's best to have a min of 4 different toys in the cage at all times.

Welcome to the forum, I hope you stick around!
 

dishgal1

New member
May 1, 2012
718
0
Texas
Parrots
Forrest -Yellow sided Green Cheek Conure, Nacho- Sun Conure
I have a Sun conure and a Green cheek. The green cheek has a cage full of toys. I have spent a fortune on toys, he has only 2 toys he plays with. A bell on the end of a boing and a Jungle talk telephone.
The rest he never touches. You just have to find those CERTAIN toys that intrigue them. My Sun plays with several toys so what Forrest doesn't like Nacho ends up with.
If Forrest had his preference he would rather climb the blinds or chew on us. LOL
I have recently hung a large boing from the ceiling in our den. He just looks at it but as soon as he gets used to it he will probably play on it.
 

Trina

New member
Jun 23, 2012
168
0
Nashville tn
Parrots
Screech - Sun Conure
Gitana - Eclectus
I to have an eclectus, she is 4 just got her within the last month. She to does not play with toys; however, I think it was how she was kept in a small cage with no toys before.. I honestly believe she doesn't know how to play with them. She takes a liking to them when i am playing around with her toys. She will grab at them like trying to play tug of war with me..But I did find something she loves. She goes insane for banana chips and apples. so i purchased small packing boxes from walmart that can be close (fit together) without tape or glue. I make sure she sees me put the banana chips or apple pieces in there and I put it on the top of her cage where her play area is. she tears that box up..I had to find something to keep her beak busy when she is not eating..she started plucking right before i got her so i had to get her beak busy on something else.
 

Trina

New member
Jun 23, 2012
168
0
Nashville tn
Parrots
Screech - Sun Conure
Gitana - Eclectus
On the talking. If you want her to talk a certain word or phrase, I believe its best to teach in the morning. Gitana is very talkative in the morning. She says good morning, I love you, i wanna a big kiss and hey baby. I taught her very quickly within a week to say Te amo , Hola, adios and hey baby.. Right now my living room is completely dark she is in her tunnel but because she knows I am sitting at the kitchen table with the lights out, she is talking to me and making knock knock noises.

I thought it best to teach gitana new words as she repeats the words over and over and some of the words she knows by her previous owner are not cool , I am hoping to get her to forget shut up and a few other choice words she says..which i haven't heard those words in prolly 4 days already. She is more interested in mocking burps , laughs right now.

I also got her to shake her head no to finger signal. which what i did was blow on her beak and instinct makes a parrot shake their head in a no motion. I would give her a treat and repeat then slowly I added a finger signal. Now she does it on just a finger signal i dont need to blow on her beak.

Eclectus are very intelligent, Gitana surprises me with her intelligence level.
 

kc_y0

New member
Nov 17, 2011
1,530
Media
2
1
Sydney
Parrots
Eclectus Female - Audrey.
Art - Budgie.
Astro - Budgie.
Mini - Budgie, RIP gorgeous girl.
Audrey screeches/screams maybe once a week, if that, and its usually because she's heard another bird outside. She does sing to herself in the morning before I even get up to her, but that's about it. Some days she will be content with just sitting on her perch or on my shoulder quietly and other days she is playful and talkative all day! If your eccy isn't interested in the toys, maybe try some new ones of different types. I know my eccy isn't that interesting in rope toys, more wooden and crunchy toys. I've spent a lot of money on huge toys for her and she doesn't even look at them, they are just picky lol! You can also rotate the toys around so she doesn't get bored easily of the same things.
 

Boysmom

Member
Nov 17, 2011
686
11
Atlanta, Georgia
Parrots
Ruby- Solomans Island Grand Eclectus ***
Flora- Panama Amazon
My Ekkie Ruby doesnt play with toys much either. She seems to enjoys toys she can climb on, She plays with her boing and her swing , but ignores all other toys. the only wood she has ever chewed on was the door frame, so I had to move her cage out a bit. I believe Ruby aspires to be a dental hygienist, as her new favorite toy is my teeth. Ruby has never been loud. She does talk alot in the morning and anytime we are in the room with her and ignoring her. Ruby is a talker though, she never has made loud noises.
 
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Chikoo

New member
Jul 17, 2012
240
0
Parrots
Chikoo (female Eclectus, 4yrs)
Rumi (male Eclectus, 12yrs)
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  • #8
Thank you for the comments everyone, much appreciated. It may be worth noting that there are two Eclectus Parrots very close-by. My property directly borders a Spiritual Sanctuary that I serve, which has two Eclectus parrots: one male (7 yrs) and one female (15 yrs). They are in a large outdoor cage, separated by a wall.

I think Chikoo definitely hears the male Eclectus, and I've noticed them communicating back and forth. This may be the reason for her squawking/screeching. I suppose there is nothing I can do about it!

Is it stressful for her to be able to hear the male but not mate? She cannot see him, they are not that close. Or do parrots just enjoy communicating with each other?
 

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