Considering an Eclectus

Hi everyone!

I'm considering a male Eclectus for a first bird. My only experience thus far has been through volunteering at a shelter that recently closed down. I worked with cockatoos, Amazons, macaws, budgies, finches, conures, and poicephalus parrots.

I have been reading through the posts here, many websites, and a few books. From what I've gathered, Eclectus Parrots tend to be on the quieter side, but can be chatty and let out an occasional honk. The diet is high in fiber and they need to feed on lots of veggies. As far as time alone, males are a little more sensitive to long amounts of loneliness, whereas females can tolerate it more. Males seem to be more friendly than females from what I've read.

My first question of the post: should these birds be kept in pairs or can a single male be kept happily for his entire life? I have read conflicting information on whether it's better to keep a single Eclectus vs. a pair (2 males or a male/female).

Welcome.

I will let the eclectus owners chime in on ekkie-specifics, but keep in mind when one keeps a male and female any animal together, either special attention must be paid that they are always supervised while together or they will inevitably do what males and females do... Most parrots, given proper socialization and attention, can do well as only birds, though they do loose a bit of their 'birdness' and adopt more human-like characteristics to fit in with their human 'flock'. People with only birds need to be 100% committed to meeting the extra attention needs that brings with it, as you and your family are all they have for companionship as highly social creatures. They MUST be made to feel fully accepted into your human 'flock', which can be challenging. I say this as an owner of a single bird. He is included in what we're doing far more often than is actually convenient for us because he's a social little guy and all he wants is to be with us. It can be an outright PITA at times to have to always consider the feelings of the bird and to go out of our way to include him, but you can tell how happy it makes him when we do

I'm no Ekkie expert but there are many members here who keep only ONE Eclectus and they are very happy. As a rule it's never a good decision to get two of any animal, or what happens is they end up bonding to each other and only being indifferent towards you.

As they mature they do change and become hormonal at certain times of the year. So you may end up with a very affectionate male or female but come maturity age, they may stop being as cuddly . It just happens, and as a parrot owner you learn to work with them during hormonal times.

I'm hoping some of our valued Ekkie owners can chime in with their advice and experience!

That's what I figured and that was my logic too. My field of work would allow me to bring the bird to work with me whenever I want, which is a big bonus.

I honestly don't want 2 parrots. I would have issues giving them equal amounts of attention.

My next question has to do with the cage. It's recommended that the bars on the cage be 3/4" apart minimum, but that it can be maximum 1.5". Which amount of separation is the safest for an Eclectus? Also, is it better to have a cage with a more round top for climbing inside or a flat top?

itzjbean said:

As a rule it's never a good decision to get two of any animal, or what happens is they end up bonding to each other and only being indifferent towards you.

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I disagree. I think if you can you should get two birds of the same species because they are flock animals. The idea of getting two birds and them bonding with each other and not you is completely false. If they were handfed and hand tamed they will bond with you and also will have each other to keep them company when you are not around.

Good luck in finding your bird though! Ekkies are so very cute and are great pets.

brighterdaysaviary said:

[ The idea of getting two birds and them bonding with each other and not you is completely false. If they were handfed and hand tamed they will bond with you

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My parents did this exact thing with their hand raised amazon. He was apparently at one point kind of a neat bird who liked to hang out etc... but as soon as they got him a friend, he bonded to her instantly and never gave 2 craps about humans again. He remained sweet and still stepped up etc... but he never in my lifetime that I can recall seeked out human affection, which he apparently did as a young bird before he got his 'girlfriend' (they were never allowed to reproduce but were inseparably bonded until the day he died). The female amazon likes me and my mom but she was a wild caught and also preferred the company of her 'boyfriend', though she has apparently become far more bonded to my mom after he passed away 2 years ago.

That's what I don't want. I want a bird that will bond to me and other people.

I totally agree with Itzjbean and Kiwi, and I'm basing this on my own, personal experience in bird breeding for 20+ years myself, along with my mother's experience of decades. And I'm talking a lot of different parrot species, whether it was Budgies, Cockatiels, different Conures, etc., doesn't matter, if you put birds together and they end-up bonding closely to each other, they absolutely lessen their attachment to people, sometimes completely. And it makes sense, as they are "flock" animals, so of course they would rather be bonded with one of their own than with a human.

What isn't being said here is that yes, they are "flock" animals, but the idea of bringing a parrot into your family is that YOU are their flockmate! As long as you have the time and the want to spend with your bird every single day, and provide them with the love, the stimulation, and the companionship that they need, then YOU become their flockmate, and they are thrilled to have you.

And besides the fact that you will become their flockmate, the other issue that always must be considered when bringing two birds into your home is that there is absolutely no guarantee that they will like each other at all!!! They may absolutely hate each other and be aggressive and violent towards each other, or they may not be aggressive or violent, but they may just totally ignore each other and have nothing to do with each other. And this cannot be predicted in any way prior to putting them together. So if you're a person looking to add a parrot to your household, your life, and your family, and you want to bond closely with the bird and be the bird's flockmate, and have the bird treat you the same in-return, then you absolutely should not get a second bird of the same species. Period.

Now if down the line you want to add another parrot of a different species, then that is something that you can think about, as typically, even if the two birds of two different species do like each other and even form a bond with each other, it's not ever going to be the same as a bond with another bird of their species, especially an opposite sex bond. I have 4 parrots, all of different species, and my Green Cheek Conure and my Quaker Parrot are very closely bonded with each other, but at the same time, both of them are very closely bonded with me. And then my other two birds are not close to any of the others, they tolerate each other, but that's it. I'm their flockmate, and they're happy, healthy birds who love their mamma. There is not one, strict definition of a bird's "flock", as their flock consists of whomever they bond closely with. These are birds who were bred in captivity and raised by human beings. So as long as their humans are committed to being their flockmates, then all is well.

Very well said, Ellen. I will most definitely be sticking to a single male Eclectus.

EllenD said:

So if you're a person looking to add a parrot to your household, your life, and your family, and you want to bond closely with the bird and be the bird's flockmate, and have the bird treat you the same in-return, then you absolutely should not get a second bird of the same species. Period.

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I have a totally different experience and outlook on this. My babies all have a cage mate, they were handfed and completely tame. It has been about two years now and every single day when it's time to play they all flock to me and are attached to me by the hip. They honestly prefer my company over each other. Having a cage mate did not lessen their affection towards me or made them any less tame. I honestly think the smaller birds especially should have cage mates and not be kept single.

If the bird is handfed and handtame and use to human interaction and was raised on it then they will want human interaction in the future.

I just don't like how people always say "only get one bird if you want the bird to bond with you." You can most certainly get two birds and have them play and bond with you. I honestly think they would be happier because they also have a friend of the same species.

Speaking from my experience with my small birds. I do not know how or if it is different with the larger ones.

I’d strongly disagree with what has been said, especially in regards to ekkies. Far too many people have multiple ekkies and they remain the primary. Our very own Stephen for example (Anansi) has a male and female Ekkie who don’t interact with each other much, preferring his company.

A blanket “never of the same species” truly does miss the truth of the matter, especially with ekkies: every combination is different and you won’t know what the dynamic of all involved will be like until they’re already in the house.

It is absolutely possible to have two ekkies, of any gender combination, and still have them primarily focused on you.

Will that be the case? It’s impossible to say ahead of time.

brighterdaysaviary said:

EllenD said:

So if you're a person looking to add a parrot to your household, your life, and your family, and you want to bond closely with the bird and be the bird's flockmate, and have the bird treat you the same in-return, then you absolutely should not get a second bird of the same species. Period.

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I have a totally different experience and outlook on this. My babies all have a cage mate, they were handfed and completely tame. It has been about two years now and every single day when it's time to play they all flock to me and are attached to me by the hip. They honestly prefer my company over each other. Having a cage mate did not lessen their affection towards me or made them any less tame. I honestly think the smaller birds especially should have cage mates and not be kept single.

If the bird is handfed and handtame and use to human interaction and was raised on it then they will want human interaction in the future.

I just don't like how people always say "only get one bird if you want the bird to bond with you." You can most certainly get two birds and have them play and bond with you. I honestly think they would be happier because they also have a friend of the same species.

Speaking from my experience with my small birds. I do not know how or if it is different with the larger ones.

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I understand what you're saying... but let me ask you this...

What happens when you take ONE bird that you are bonded with out and leave everyone else in their cages and take the one bird to another room just with you to play? What happens if you keep this bird away from its cage-mate and friends for ten minutes?

Whenever I separated my bonded pair, they would call and scream for each other, becoming anxious until they were reunited. Nothing, not me, not anyone else, could calm them until they were with their mate.

A bird bonded to its person won't scream or show any anxiety when separated from another bird, it will be most happy with its person. So while its possible for bids to be bonded to a person, when other birds of the same species come into the picture it becomes different. The person becomes more of a caretraker and less a flock member. Just my opinion. Yes, you can have a bond with your birds, but you won't necessarily be 'needed' as they need their other flock members or mates. I have only observed this with the smaller species, like lovebirds, IRN, cockatiels, budgies but I know a bonded macaw or cockatoo pair is a force to be reckoned with.

itzjbean said:

brighterdaysaviary said:

EllenD said:

So if you're a person looking to add a parrot to your household, your life, and your family, and you want to bond closely with the bird and be the bird's flockmate, and have the bird treat you the same in-return, then you absolutely should not get a second bird of the same species. Period.

Click to expand...

I have a totally different experience and outlook on this. My babies all have a cage mate, they were handfed and completely tame. It has been about two years now and every single day when it's time to play they all flock to me and are attached to me by the hip. They honestly prefer my company over each other. Having a cage mate did not lessen their affection towards me or made them any less tame. I honestly think the smaller birds especially should have cage mates and not be kept single.

If the bird is handfed and handtame and use to human interaction and was raised on it then they will want human interaction in the future.

I just don't like how people always say "only get one bird if you want the bird to bond with you." You can most certainly get two birds and have them play and bond with you. I honestly think they would be happier because they also have a friend of the same species.

Speaking from my experience with my small birds. I do not know how or if it is different with the larger ones.

Click to expand...

I understand what you're saying... but let me ask you this...

What happens when you take ONE bird that you are bonded with out and leave everyone else in their cages and take the one bird to another room just with you to play? What happens if you keep this bird away from its cage-mate and friends for ten minutes?

Whenever I separated my bonded pair, they would call and scream for each other, becoming anxious until they were reunited. Nothing, not me, not anyone else, could calm them until they were with their mate.

A bird bonded to its person won't scream or show any anxiety when separated from another bird, it will be most happy with its person. So while its possible for bids to be bonded to a person, when other birds of the same species come into the picture it becomes different. The person becomes more of a caretraker and less a flock member. Just my opinion. Yes, you can have a bond with your birds, but you won't necessarily be 'needed' as they need their other flock members or mates. I have only observed this with the smaller species, like lovebirds, IRN, cockatiels, budgies but I know a bonded macaw or cockatoo pair is a force to be reckoned with.

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Normally I open all the cages at once and they all fly on to me or my shoulders and take them out to my porch to get their exercise. And some fly around the porch while others stay on my shoulder while others play on my lap, others are on the jungle gym etc. But they always come back to me for kisses and scratches even when they are outside and have a huge porch to fly around in and other birds to chat with. Maybe Im just a lucky person and raise them well and spoiled them haha

When I take one bird out to play.. honestly depends, sometime it would be just one-five chirp as in to say "I am here everyone, I am doing okay" and other times they don't even chirp to each other because they are so used to everything. My birds are very tame and use to me, used to my routine, schedule etc and I honestly do think they prefer my company over each other.

I respect your opinion and experience, I am just speaking from mine

Ok everyone. Thank you for your comments and experience. I will be sticking to a single male. I'd like to move on to other topics and believe things here are veering in too many directions.

My next question has to do with the cage. Sources say the bars should be 3/4-1.5 inches apart. What is the safest amount of space for an Eclectus? I don't want his toes or beak getting damaged.

mike126 said:

Ok everyone. Thank you for your comments and experience. I will be sticking to a single male. I'd like to move on to other topics and believe things here are veering in too many directions.

My next question has to do with the cage. Sources say the bars should be 3/4-1.5 inches apart. What is the safest amount of space for an Eclectus? I don't want his toes or beak getting damaged.

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I just inherited my dad's male Eclectus. The cage he was in was a 3/4 so I was looking for something similar. The cage I ordered for him was a 1 inch and he is doing quite well with it. I saw a cage that was 1 1/4 and many people told me not to go above a 1 inch. I think he had to adjust to climbing with different spacing but he is doing great.

Thank you, Winston.

In your opinion, is it better to go for a cage that is dome-shaped on top (more round) or flat on top?

mike126 said:

Thank you, Winston.

In your opinion, is it better to go for a cage that is dome-shaped on top (more round) or flat on top?

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I am new to the bird world, so I did a lot of researching online. I am not sure which is better, but when I was looking for Winston's cage I wanted something similar to what he had but I also knew I wanted a playtop on top of his cage. So, this meant he would be getting a flat top. I do love the look of the dome styles, though. My boy is constantly on his play top. I am in BC so had a hard time finding a cage. I ended up ordering a Kings Cage from a store in Alberta as it was big, solid, and had the playtop. As for which style, I think it depends on if you want the playtop attached to the cage. You have come to the right place to ask questions! When I knew I would be getting Winston, I posted questions and everyone was so helpful. It made the transition into being a parrot parent much easier. I am still learning things everyday, but knowing I can get advice here helps so much!

Everyone seems really great so far! Thank you for your response.

One thing I am eager to do with my future Eclectus is train him to wear a harness. I'd like to take him outside with me once he is ready. Besides keeping an eye out for predators of birds, what other medical precautions (such as vaccines) should I be aware of?

Health really isn’t an issue with taking the bird outside. Nothing medical related to look out for in this particular instance. It just comes down to predators and other distractions.

And stress. Outdoors can be very scary for your bird. If he’s showing signs of stress outside, it means you’ve rush him out too quickly, that you are doing too much too Soon.

That's good to know.

When training a bird to go outside, how long should a training situation be? Can I habituate him to certain sounds, like sirens, from inside the house?