Feather colors on Eclectus

Hi
I adopted Moses, Red Sided Eclectus in March. He was fed primarily a seed mixture for large hookbill parrots. I took him off the mix and introduced fresh fruits and veggies as well as pellets. I also had a complete physical which showed him to be in good health. My question is I notice that he has black on his feathers. My vet says that it may take a few years to completely get his feathers back to his lovely emerald green. I am wondering if there is something else I should do?
Thanks
Moses Mama

What sort of pellets are you using? Remember that most pellets contain artificial vitamins and minerals and due to their extra long digestive tract, eckies can suffer from deadly hypervitaminosis if fed these pellets. At least 70% of the diet should be fresh, with the rest being made up of whole grains, healthy seeds, and all natural (not fortified or colored) pellets.

To specifically answer your question, get him in the sun as much as possible. I sure he has access to shade, but that unfiltered sunlight is so crucial, especially if you can get him to preen in the sun. I suggest daily baths in the sun if possible; that worked miracles with my pair.

Some of the black feathers may also be due to overpreening so include various preening toys in your cage setup


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Hello and welcome!!

Everything Dani (silversage) said. If you feed pellets at all make sure they have no added supplemental vitamins/minerals. I give my boy Goldn'obles I ( they look like brown Cheerios). No supplements, the first ingredient is quinoa. Very healthy The majority of his food is fresh green and vegetable, but gets fed pellets in the morning when I go to work. Make sure at least a third of his diet is healthy grain (brown rice is a great start, barley, etc). Ekkies need a higher fiber content. Fiber can mean grain or high fiber vegetables quinoa is great, just be careful because it is a very nutrient dense. Ideally you would feed them in smaller doses.

Regarding feathers, Dani is absolutely right. Black on ekkie feathers is usually either a sign of poor diet or overly aggressive preening. This will only go away when your boy motes out his old, damaged feathers. So you have to wait until he starts molting before he restores his green luster.

Great job changing up his diet. I agree wholeheartedly about the pellets. Some brands have been known to trigger toe-tapping and wing-flipping in ekkies. I feed around 85% fresh with no pellets at all. Variety is key.

As for the black on his feathers, if they are stress bars you'd only be seeing them until all of those feathers molt out... assuming, of course, that the source of his stress has been eliminated.

Baths and sunshine. Great advice.

EDIT: I didn't see your post when I typed mine, Chris. I didn't know you used Gold'nobles for Parker. How long, now?

I know a certain parrot with some blackish feathers, which seem to be caused by petting the parrot after eating greasy potato chips. This parrot doesn't like to bathe, so it's not easy to remedy the situation. Does your ekkie like water? Does the black color get any better after a good bath?

Welcome to the forums, Moses Mama!! Given his past diet, you have saved him from a drastically shortened life! Improvements will take time, but the end result will be magnificent.

Hi
I give my Moses Roudybush pellets. I have tried to get him to bathe in the sun in a warm pan out in my yard but he doesnt like it, he showers with me sometimes and I have to be careful about having outside to preen because I dont want him to get cold...He has been molting some and I hope that the black is from just moving and changing his diet. He does eat a lot of fruit and is rather picky with the veggies but I am still trying...
Thanks for all the advice. I love my little guy!!

Thanks but its not the chips...
I think he needs more sun!
Need to get a 3rd cage so he can hang in the yard

Hi Stephen,

He's gotten Goldn'obles I insistently now for just under a year. We moved into our new home and he gets his own room. But that room also is he only place in the house with carpet. Leaving fruit and veg out really isn't an option in his room because of that. He's doing well on them. Though he's not crazy about them.

chris-md said:

Hi Stephen,

He's gotten Goldn'obles I insistently now for just under a year. We moved into our new home and he gets his own room. But that room also is he only place in the house with carpet. Leaving fruit and veg out really isn't an option in his room because of that. He's doing well on them. Though he's not crazy about them.

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Hey, Chris!

You could get around the carpet issue by putting down one of those clear mat things that people use for the rolling chairs by their computer desks. Some are big enough for even the most energetic tossers.