New eclectus was on bottom of his cage this am!

vsk101 · Aug 28, 2017

Hi, I brought home my new 6 month old eclectus last night. This morning I found him sitting on the bottom of his cage. I think I read that this is not normal behavior for a bird so I wanted to check in.

The pet store I got him from had taken him for surgery couple weeks before for a partial amputation of his wing because his mother had bitten it. They said he is doing well, though. I gave him quite a bit of food last night -- kale, parsley, a couple of peanuts. This morning as soon as I put the food bowl in he climbed right up to eat.

If he's not ill, is it possible the cage is still too big for him? It's a 36x28, and he is obviously used to a much bigger one at the pet store. Thanks for any input. I will call the vet if necessary but it's only 7 am now so doubt she is in.

clark_conure · Aug 28, 2017

I have never owned an eclectus and I don't know too much about their behavior but I wouldn't worry too much. I might be jumping the gun here as someone that knows more might answer next, but a lot of birds like the bottom of the cage, some birds like conures will even sleep on their back on the bottom of their cages.....

Don't worry to much until some others chime in.

itzjbean · Aug 28, 2017

With any new addition to the family you'll always want to schedule a vet visit with a Certified Avian Vet that will really be able to look at your Eclectus and tell if he's in good shape. The wing surgery concerns me though, a week after surgery he is probably still going to be healing.

I would only feed peanuts sparingly, maybe as treats used with training, as they're not very good for parrots in general. Eclectus need more fruits and veggies than other parrots, so try to incorporate as much variety as you can -- banana, apple, mango, watermelon. This website can help you get started. As for his sitting on the bottom of the cage behavior, I've never owned an Eclectus but I know many baby birds do this when they sleep, as perching isn't very comfortable for them. You could provide a paper towel to give him something soft to sit on while he sis at the bottom. Sounds normal.

vsk101 · Aug 28, 2017

Thank you, when the pet store brought him for his surgery, I paid extra for labs, so he has been checked out thoroughly. The pet store has been feeding him peanuts and they are his favorite. I am trying to transition him to a healthier diet. I tried giving him a pistachio last night but he wasn't interested at all. So it's going to be a process. He does really like greens though!

clark_conure · Aug 28, 2017

try apples and oranges and strawberries....but work him to a pellet diet....

wrench13 · Aug 28, 2017

Yes! Greens should be a major part of his diet, peanuts not. Try to slowly reduce the nut part and increase the types of greens and maybe introduce some fruits to him. No fruit seeds, like apple or cherry or other big hard seeds. Mango - good, Watermelon good, Kiwi good ( seeds and all). Variety is the ticket.

vsk101 · Aug 28, 2017

He does not seem to be a big fruit eater except for apples. I think he likes what he was eating before so it's going to be a transition. I'm going out to get him some frozen corn and peas

vsk101 · Aug 28, 2017

Thank you, can he have the watermelon seeds?

vsk101 · Aug 28, 2017

I think the cage is a little big for him and I need to work a bit on the perches. So I'm pretty sure he just fell down. I have towels covered in newspaper on the bottom so I think he will be fine

RisingSun · Aug 28, 2017

While he is still healing, I would put his perches low to the ground. The surgery may make him unbalanced for a while, and if he falls he could really hurt that wing. Put some wide perches in there too, which should also help with balance. I hope the little guy heals quickly.

itzjbean · Aug 28, 2017

Oops, if he is falling down then it it may be a balancing issue, as the person above stated. Try to entice him to stay near the bottom of the cage by keeping most of the perches down low, and possibly also keeping his food and water down there as well. Just so he heals up without hurting himself!

vsk101 · Aug 28, 2017

Thank you so much. I will lower his main perch for a while. It's weird because at times he seems to be a great acrobat, even hanging upside down in the cage, and at other times he does fall. But it's a great suggestion and I feel much better this way. I just moved his cage further from a window, too because I live in a city and it's really quite loud. I really wanted him to have some natural light but I will have to work that out later after he;s more comfortable here.

Scott · Aug 28, 2017

Finding your bird on the bottom of the cage is frightening and may occur for many reasons, most already covered! The type of perch and condition of nails may play a role. Plain wooden dowels are least favored while natural wood or textured plastic/concrete are best. Overgrown nails can also weaken grip.

Cannot overemphasize the crucial role of diet for eclectus, different from most parrots. The ideal ekkie diet contains virtually no pellets or seed, these items can be effective treats and rewards. A few helpful threads:

http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/28350-eclectus-diet-confused-2.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/52737-so-you-think-you-want-eclectus.html

RisingSun · Aug 28, 2017

vsk101 said:
Thank you so much. I will lower his main perch for a while. It's weird because at times he seems to be a great acrobat, even hanging upside down in the cage, and at other times he does fall. But it's a great suggestion and I feel much better this way. I just moved his cage further from a window, too because I live in a city and it's really quite loud. I really wanted him to have some natural light but I will have to work that out later after he;s more comfortable here.

Could you move his cage at night? Or give him a sleeping cage in another area of the house? Windows usually provide hours of enrichment for captive birds. And the noise shouldn't bother him…they've evolved to live in the rainforest after all l, which is anything but quiet and peaceful. That's why they have such loud calls, to be heard over the din.

I do agree though, that until he is fully healed and gets used to his new home, it would be best for him to not have too much excitement, so you made a good call there.

Anansi · Aug 28, 2017

You say he's sitting on the bottom of the cage. Is he just being lethargic? Or is he actively moving around and exploring? If he is being lethargic, you might want to get him to a certified avian vet right away. Especially if he's staying down there for prolonged periods of time.

The balance issue also concerns me. It could very well be from the surgery he just had, as wings play a crucial role in parrot balance. But there are other causes of balance loss as well. Some of which are far more worrisome.

The idea to keep his perches low in the meantime was a good one.

Concerning diet, as Scott mentioned pellets are largely to be avoided when it comes to eclectus parrots. Some people do claim to have found pellet brands that work well for eclectus, but given the history of pellets with toe-tapping and wing-flipping I just don't risk it... especially since it is possible to give them a complete, nutritious diet using fresh veggies, legumes, grains, sprouts and fruits.

LordTriggs · Aug 29, 2017

clark_conure said:
try apples and oranges and strawberries....but work him to a pellet diet....

Clark Eclectuses shouldn't be on pellets, it can cause some pretty bad health issues. Their diet should mostly be fruits and veggies

clark_conure · Aug 29, 2017

I said in my first post I never owned one, how do you keep all that stuff straight in your head LordTriggs. Also I was right on apples but that's a gimme....

vsk101 · Aug 29, 2017

Thank you, I guess I'm concerned about the garbage trucks and many, many other loud delivery trucks. He does not seem to be a fan! I'm hoping (if I am ever successful at getting him out of his cage) to put him on the balcony for 1/2 hour a day while the weather is nice. I would be supervising him of course. I guess when things quiet down I can move the cage, but I thought that in itself might be a bit scary for him. Maybe after a week or so after he's had time to adjust? Thank you

vsk101 · Aug 29, 2017

Well I think Green Bean is really quite fine. Thanks for all of the input, though because I was pretty worried. I am trying to get him used to new foods but he is used to the eclectus "junk food" he was being fed at the store. I'm finding most new things he will eat out of my hand, and once he realizes it's not so bad, I can put it in his bowl and he'll eat it.

I have discovered he also likes classical music! He sings along but is very, very tone deaf! He is also a big Sara Bareilles fan (she does a have a beautiful voice) and seems to like Broadway show tunes as well. He likes it even better if I sing along with him, even though I can barely carry a tune. So we are bonding over music...and food of course

vsk101 · Aug 29, 2017

Thank you! His perches right now are mostly cloth of various sizes but he seems ok on them. If I can ever get him out of his cage he has a manzanita playstand

I have been reading all about the Ekkie diet. I'm giving him mostly fruits and vegetables, stressing high beta carotene ones, about 1/3 cup per day. And nuts for training, and 1 tbsp per day of pellets. I've been giving him about 1/4 cup quinoa and 3 tbsp lentils but I'm thinking I may be overdoing those. If you have any input on the quantities I'm giving him, please lmk.

New eclectus was on bottom of his cage this am!

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