Figuring out how old an eclectus might be?

[Rrrma]

Does anyone have any information on determining age in an eclectus?

I have one that was from a rescue type situation and was told she was 6 at the time, but she has always seemed like she wasn't quite as old as they said(her original bird owner died, so no one really knows anything about her).

 

[Mel]

I have a rescue cockatoo & am in the same boat unfortunately with her there's no telling, Unless there's a secret with Eckies I don't know about I don't think you can tell with them either - anyone else?

 

[Rrrma]

I've read up on it some before and the presence of yellow in the beak and the certain characteristics of the eyes can sometimes help.

She still had some yellow in her beak when I got her and it has recently begun to disappear, along with acting like she is PMSing... I'm wondering if she is in puberty, which should narrow it down.

 

[Mel]

Yeah good point. I think they reach sexual maturity at about 2yrs thier beaks are fully black by about 18mths and they often go through a "moody" period around a year old so she may be very young

All we know with my too is that she's an adult.

 

[Bobby34231]

This is probably way to obvious an answer but, does your Ekkie have a leg band?, if so the year of hatch may be on it along with bredder info, if the bird is more than 3 years old then most of the telltale juvinile signs are probably gone, good luck........

 

[Rrrma]

She does... hmmmmm. I looked at it the other day but didn't take note of what it said. I shall look at it again and see what it might say about her.

 

[greycloud]

LOL! I was going to suggest the same thing. Let us know what it says!

 

[Birdamor]

If she is at least 6, she would have outgrown the juvenile markings a long time ago and puberty is a thing of the past. In any case, if she looks good, I doubt she's older than 10 or maybe 15. They only started breeding ekkies for the pet trade quite recently (less than 30 years ago) and I personally don't know of any whose age has been verified at more than 20 even though their life expectancy is over 40. Ekkies don't seem to last very long in captivity. Apparently, their natural diet and lifestyle is too especialized to reproduce in captivity.

 

[Rrrma]

Specialized diet is right. I never thought it could be so hard! lol!

I'll post some pictures. One of the biggest reasons I think she is younger than they told me is because she is still outgrowing the yellow in her beak. It is nearing its end finally, but she had a good bit when I got her.

Pictures:
When I got her

Now(she is recovering from a depression)

 

[antoinette]

Depression or not that is so cute, just look at the pose.
Sorry unable to assist with your question.......

 

[Rrrma]

She is a ham, loves getting her picture taken.

 

[Rrrma]

Well her leg band is no easy help. It is a bunch of random letters and numbers. No possible way to get a date out of it. I've joined a yahoo group to try and trace it.

If anyone knows a good way to trace them, please post.

 

[greycloud]

Can you post the numbers and letters here?

 

[Rrrma]

They are
VAT MS(sideways) 224

I assume MS means she is from Mississippi, the rest I'm lost on.

 

[greycloud]

I went on a couple sites and couldn't find anything. Yahoo group might help. I didn't have much luck with them in the past.

 

[Rrrma]

Im going to try emailing a few band makers as well. See if the letters match anything in their database.

 

[naomisarah]

She's a Vos?

I worked with many Vos Ekkies before and I can tell you that I never saw yellow in the beak after 2 years of age. Ekkie girls start yellowish and go black, Ekkie boys start blackish and go yellow (candy corn).

Especially since you can see how much the yellow has reduced since you got her, almost guaranteed she's young. I really havent heard of the ekkie beak changing color like that due to nutrition/health problems at all, however I have heard that PROPER nutrition makes it darken faster in the first years of life. I think you've got yourself a beautiful young female Eclectus!!! But I'll be excited to hear what the leg band turns up - it'd be the first time I've ever seen an older yellow-billed eclectus!

 

[Rrrma]

According to all research I could find, she is a Vos. It is possible she had a poor enough diet before I got her that it took a long time for the yellow to grow out. I've had her 1.5 years and its almost all gone now.

 

[Rrrma]

Well I finally located her breeder and it turns out she is much older instead. She was hatched 3/1/01, so she is 9 now. I guess the yellow is probably from an improper diet?

I'm sad to find out she isn't younger, I hope she outlives the current older captive eclectus! I don't even want to think about the day when I lose her

 

[kenjhoule]

My boy Casey is in his 21st year, heathy happy and almost 500 grams, always in perfect feather, he wont eat pellets, he gets a seed blend, fruits, vege's and table
food that is low in fat, he gets moody during a molt but other tham that he always loves attention from me. There is nothingn i cant do with him, loves to be handlled.