Eclectus or Goffin Cockatoo???

kristynkritters

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Aug 5, 2014
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Hi guys, I'm new here... To give y'all a bit of background on myself - I'm from Alabama, recently married, hubby is a veterinarian & I am a veterinary technician & seeking to soon further my education for applied behavior analysis (focusing on pet related behavior problems). I've personally had a good bit of experience with birds, & used to own a lovely little sun conure who passed away in a tragic accident. It's been about 5 years now & I think I'm ready to look into getting a new feathered kid.

Long story short, the housing arrangement will consist of being able to take the bird to work with us for more activity & mental stimulation & going home with us at night (so yes, two cages). I want something that won't just bond to me, but to my husband as well, but that is also good for first timers (this will be his first time living with a bird). I would prefer not terrible loud (being we own a veterinary hospital). Obviously being a bird, they are pretty loud, but I used to have a sun conure, so I'm hoping for a little quieter than that, lol. Being that I'm a huge behavior & training nerd, a BIG bonus for me would be ease of training/learning.

I realize that a lot of these qualities are individual personality traits & are often subjective to the observer. I just wanted to get some more input from other people (other than those I personally know).

As the title mentions I've somewhat narrowed my search to an Eclectus (male) or goffin cockatoo. I'm open to other suggestions as well, but I've done a good bit of reading on both of those species & they appear to be potentially nice fits. I would like to stick to something about that "size". I absolutely love the size and trainability of African Greys, but I'm fairly hesitant being that they are the most common species I've seen in rescue situations with little/or no feathers. I'm afraid on the days where we are super busy at work & I can't spend a ton of time with the bird for that day, I don't want the poor baby to stress out & start feather plucking or anything.

Any info or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!
 

Phlox

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Jun 16, 2014
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From the books, I'd say an Eclectus since they usually don't pair bond, but you have one of the few situations that would really be good for a cockatoo.

Have you considered just going to a rescue or a breeder and seeing if one picks you?

I have an BF Amazon now and I adore her...but I'd never considered an Amazon until the opportunity presented itself but now I'm SO glad I have her. I used to dream about a Grey or an Eclectus but now I realize I've got the right friend in my green chicken.
 
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kristynkritters

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Aug 5, 2014
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Yeah, I've somewhat considered that. My major concern is ease of handling for my husband. While yes, he is a veterinarian he has only handled birds a time or two in vet school. So if I can find one that is pretty tame & good with handling it would be perfect. On the same topic, unfortunately living in the boondocks (gulf coast of Alabama) we don't have any aviary rescue groups here. The closest I could find was in Florida, but they have a big "absolutely no out of state adoptions" rule (which I understand completely, just stinks for those of us wanting to adopt in less populated regions).
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
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San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
I have Eclectus, Goffins, and others, but my strongest preference is for the Goffins! There is a bird for every personality, and the Goffins mesh best with me! I have a family of 5; 2 wild-caught parents and 3 hand-fed offspring. Each has particularly endearing traits with a dose of individualism. They all enjoy being touched, though cuddling is not possible with the father. Goffins are extremely inquisitive, and at times you can see the "wheels turning" as they intently monitor a person or situation. You'll need a proportionally larger cage than with most parrots, filled with toys to keep busy, and a robust locking mechanism as they will attempt to defeat the latches with great success! I frequently notice my Goffins unlatching seed/treat doors to allow the caged bird freedom via pushing the bowl out of the receptacle!!

I have one female Vosmaeri Eclectus, a bird limited to sharing affection with just one person - me. She is uncharacteristically cuddly and difficult to read emotionally. Angel never accepted her intended mate who sadly passed away 3 1/2 years ago. Sasquatch was a big handsome male who was a bit more outgoing, but typically stoic in the Eclectus fashion.

You probably won't go wrong with either choice. My sampling of Goffins have been extremely hardy with a handful of very treatable issues over the past 25 years or so. Both Eclectus have had assorted maladies including chronic beak overgrowth despite great diets and normal blood panels.

Good luck!
 

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