Eclectus and Green cheek conures

[Jenny93]

Hi all,

I'm considering getting another bird. I have 2 green cheek conures that are 6 months old and I love them, I'm target training them in the moment and it's amazing to see the changes in their personality as they grow up. I've had plenty of budgies when I was little as well, but it was not the same.
Recently I've started considering adding one more bird to the flock. Finaly I had to choose between Illiger's macaw and an eclectus. I read a ton of information about both species, discussed their personalities with a few different breeders and I'm thinking out of all species, an eclectus will be the best fit in our family. I figured that if the macaw is as playful and energetic as the conures, they'll go crazy and the chances of an accident happening are higheras they can be pretty temperamental at times. I'm 27 and I live with my boyfriend and my family (we just like living all together) as well as with 2 dogs. I love the conures, but I also want a parrot that will be a part of our lives for as long as we live, a companion that will be friendly to the whole family and once we have kids - with them too. I read that they are extremely inteligent, more mellow and have more balanced temperament, which I think will be better for the conures as well. I built a huge cage for my conures and I intend to build one for the eclectus as well. They'll be located in the same room, close to each other, but separated. I'm just wondering if they'll accept each other or if I'll stress them even more. I read all about their specific dietary recuirements and that won't be a problem for me at all - I make chop for my conures every week anyways. I also read that the males are more mellow and friendly than the females, so I think that's the one I'll go with. My question is if you think they'll be a good combination (I won't cage them together and if let out together, they'll be closely supervised ALWAYS) and if the ekkies are realy as calm and friendly most of the time. I'd love to hear what you have to say and get more information from people who actualy live with one.

 

[chris-md]

Hello and welcome!

You've described pretty much my identical dilemma when I was searching: Illigers macaw or eclectus. My final choice came down to which came to me first: a male eclectus. Illigers macaws are not nearly as available!

You're asking the wrong question:

"Will they accept each other" has NOTHING to do with species, and everything to do with the individual birds. THEY and they alone determine if they will get along. No amount of species bet-hedging will remotely mitigate the challenges. Either they will or they won't; its on you to deal with the consequences of your decision to bring another bird in the house.

"Will get along with the whole family" - again, down tot he individual and especially how you raise and train them. Though illigers can be a bit nippy by nature.

For me, getting a male ekkie turned out to be the right call. As a DOG owner, I'm not so much of a "throw the ball play fetch" kind of owner, I'm more of a "sit on the couch in calm and cuddle" kind of owner, so the mellowness of the male ekkie lent itself well to my own temperment as an owner.

And yes, ekkies can be mellower - I call them the stoners of the parrot world, particularly the dunderheaded males - but that is relative: they are still very much wild animals adapted to flying miles a day so keep your expectations in check there.

But you have a couple significant trade off with the mellow disposition:

1. their dietary needs are pretty specific and you can't get lazy or your bird will suffer. Fortunately whats good for your ekkie is also good for your conures (the reverse is NOT true) so you can actually work to get all birds on the same diet to make it easy on you. The diet can be a PAIN sometimes, far messier than just throwing pellets at them.

2. Hormones are a constant presence as adults: most parrots go through spring (and fall to a lesser extent) hormonal/breeding seasons during which time you really can't control the hormonal behavior and have to simply ride it out. Ekkies aren't restricted to breeding in the spring and can breed all year. This means they are INDUCED to hormonal behavior through your husbandry and care. Bad diet? Touching them wrong? Providing a dark place? All can create a hormonal beast. So whereas macaw owners only worry about it once a year as something they can't control, you have to deal with it all year long as something you can control. Yes, spring can be worse and less under your control, but the rest of the year if you have hormonal behavior it can largely be on you to do something about it. Basically As an eclectus owner, you're going to become an expert on hormonal management.

Ekkies are wonderful companions, but have very unique - and frankly sometimes EXHAUSTING - challenges/considerations that other species don't have to worry about.

 

[noodles123]

There is no species that will be good with the whole family for sure. Even if you do everything right, you can't expect that your bird will just be good with all kids or family members. Some individuals may, but many will not. A parrot that is well socialized has a better shot of tolerating more people, but even then, it's no guarantee, and even then, there will be people who your bird tries to bite etc.



It is not uncommon for a bird to pick a member of a family other than the bird's owner and there is no way to know whether your birds will get along, which is why it is so important that you go into this knowing that, whenever you get a new parrot, it can change the current flock dynamic (including your relationship with your current birds).



Remember, there is always the possibility that they will fight/get jealous etc and in that case, you need enough time to allow your current birds at least 3 hours out of their cage, as well as 3 more hours for the new bird, in the event that they do not get along and cannot be out at the same time. Remember, also, that time out of the cage may be enhanced by the presence of a parrot's favorite person, and that may or may not be you, so your whole family has to be on-board. You cannot know if your birds will get along and even if they do initially, that can change. There are members who had birds together for years, and suddenly, a bird loses a toe from another parrot in the same house. That stuff can and does happen, so think carefully because you have to be all-in, no matter how your bird turns out.



You will also need to quarantine any new bird for at least 40 days, meaning keeping the new bird as far from your current birds as possible and changing clothes/ washing hands thoroughly between handling if your birds crawl on you etc, or if you get a dusty bird (as dust can transmit disease in the air as well). Ecelectus are pretty hypo allergenic as birds go, but even then, careful quarantine is very important.



Any larger bird is going to have the potential to seriously injure a handler. A child can easily get hurt if they misread a bird's cues or if something happens and the bird is startled- bigger beaks= stronger beaks....So if your parrot being super great with kids is important, then I wouldn't get a large parrot, as they are a bit unpredictable at times, as are children, which can lead to a complicated pairing. You can have a really sweet and social bird, but one bite to a kid's finger in a moment of stress or excitement can mean a trip to the ER. That's just a fact...and they are also prone to jealously in some cases, so if a child is getting attention from the bird's favorite person, they can turn that frustration/jealously towards a child.


If you build a cage, you must make sure that you do not use any unsafe wires etc--- galvanized wires and anything containing zinc= super toxic (even if they just mouth it when climbing). Stainless steel, aluminum and iron (with bird-safe powder coating) = the only safe metals. This makes creating a cage very difficult, unless you do a plastic cage, which also has its own difficulties. Furthermore, if you plan to use wood, wood is hard to clean, easy to chew and often coated in chemicals, so that is not a good option either.

 

[Jenny93]

Thank you. I completely realize the possibilities of them fighting and of the ekkie not liking everyone. I'll absolutely do the best to train all of them (I've already started with the conures and I'm extremely happy with their behavior and their dynamics. They're quick learners, but can still be pretty nippy at times). I know each bird has its character, but there are also some common characteristics that can apply to the species. The more I read, the more I get a really good feeling about everything and I just want to do this the best way I can so all birds feel loved and part of the family. I'm still a bit worried about them fighting even through the cage, because the conures are pretty boisterous and have no fear and the eclectus has a much bigger beak.
As for the cage - I know eveything about the metals and I turned the world around to find good quality stainless steal net and I used hard wood, which is covered, so they can't realy chew on it. Also used 100% bird safe paint. I'm pretty happy with the result and I'm sure they love their new home.

 

[noodles123]

Thank you. I completely realize the possibilities of them fighting and of the ekkie not liking everyone. I'll absolutely do the best to train all of them (I've already started with the conures and I'm extremely happy with their behavior and their dynamics. They're quick learners, but can still be pretty nippy at times). I know each bird has its character, but there are also some common characteristics that can apply to the species. The more I read, the more I get a really good feeling about everything and I just want to do this the best way I can so all birds feel loved and part of the family. I'm still a bit worried about them fighting even through the cage, because the conures are pretty boisterous and have no fear and the eclectus has a much bigger beak.
As for the cage - I know eveything about the metals and I turned the world around to find good quality stainless steal net and I used hard wood, which is covered, so they can't realy chew on it. Also used 100% bird safe paint. I'm pretty happy with the result and I'm sure they love their new home.

I would also suggest that you wait until your GCCs are sexually mature so that you have a better idea of their adult personalities (1-1.5 years, in general). You haven't had them long enough to know what it will be like when hormones kick in, and when that happens, they may not even like each other (or like each other too much)....So just keep that in mind as well. GCCs generally mature within a year or so, but you could get a larger parrot and have no idea of their adult persona for many years-- coupled with the fact that you do not even know the adult personas of your conures at this point.

 

[Jenny93]

Yes, I was thinking of maybe getting it after the summer, I'm just preparing. I'm wondering if it would be better to get the new bird as a baby so it can get used to the conures easier or get an older bird? We don't have bird shelters where I'm from though and I think most of the people who sell their adult birds is because they have behavioral issues or the owners can't handle them. Either way I'm not sure which would be better. What do you think?

 

[noodles123]

Honestly, babies are overrated in my opinion...because everything can go out the window at puberty anyway. I am not saying it always does, but just because a baby seems chill/cool with you and your birds, does not mean it will last. I honestly don't think it makes THAT big of a difference, although older birds can carry baggage-- the thing is, younger birds generally are deceptively cooperative (and there is more potential to make little, but lasting mistakes when they are pre-pubesent, so it can actually be beneficial (in some cases) to get an older bird, as they are more established as far as their personalities and you have a better idea of what you are getting into. Yes, early training for things like harness training etc can be easier with a bird who is young (and therefore more willing to cooperate) but in terms of overall personality, you can be easily deceived by a young bird. You can CREATE baggage (with babies) without knowing that you have until much further down the road anyway.


MOST babies don't have serious behavioral issues, which is why so many people re-home at puberty..because they feel blind-sided by the fact that they are no longer able to treat their bird like they could before etc.


Many people, in general, find themselves overwhelmed outside of that baby stage, and even the nicest baby can raise hell when hormones come into play.

 

[Jenny93]

Honestly, babies are overrated in my opinion...because everything can go out the window at puberty anyway. I am not saying it always does, but just because a baby seems chill/cool with you and your birds, does not mean it will last. I honestly don't think it makes THAT big of a difference, although older birds can carry baggage-- the thing is, younger birds generally are deceptively cooperative (and there is more potential to make little, but lasting mistakes when they are pre-pubesent, so it can actually be beneficial (in some cases) to get an older bird, as they are more established as far as their personalities and you have a better idea of what you are getting into. Yes, early training for things like harness training etc can be easier with a bird who is young (and therefore more willing to cooperate) but in terms of overall personality, you can be easily deceived by a young bird. You can CREATE baggage (with babies) without knowing that you have until much further down the road anyway.


MOST babies don't have serious behavioral issues, which is why so many people re-home at puberty..because they feel blind-sided by the fact that they are no longer able to treat their bird like they could before etc.


Many people, in general, find themselves overwhelmed outside of that baby stage, and even the nicest baby can raise hell when hormones come into play.

Yeah, but if I get an older bird, the previous owner may have created bigger baggage then I would have (which I'm pretty sure will be the case, because in my country most of the people don't even know they can tame the parrots and some raise them in less than satisfying conditions. There are great owners as well, but I'm not sure I want to risk it. Even the female I got from a breeder as handraised used to bite like hell the first week. She was so small and it hurt soooo bad hahaha. Especialy with the dietary requirements of the eclectus it's important to feed them properly from the start so they grow up to be a healthy individual.
It's soooo frustrating not being able to predict what one is getting into. On one hand I'm super excided and I'm pretty sure everything can work out just fine even if they don't love each other, but at least tolerate , but on the other hand I'm anxious, imagining that everything can go horribly wrong...
In reality it's probably somewhere in the middle . I know that birds can get hormonal, but they're not horrible all the time even then and after this period passes they get normal again and then it depends on us not to provoke the wrong behavior. I think the conures are starting to hit early puberty as they've started to fight a bit, get angry easily, scream more often and bite me when I adjust the feeder in the cage, but in the next second they're sweet again and preen each other. The male sais 'I love you' to the female haha and gives her kisses and even when they fight they ALWAYS sleep cuddling. :smile015::smile015::smile015:
I just worry that's all, but communicating with all of you is reassuring. What's the worst that could happen? I may need to let them out separately and we may get a few painful bites when they're hormonal. I hope that if we give them enough love, they'll feel it and give back. I hope I don't sound naive, I'd really appreciate it if you gave me a reality check if you think I'm wrong.

 

[Ellie777Australia]

Hi Jenny93, welcome to the forum. Both of my parrots are rehome/rescues. Yes, they came with baggage but the training and time required to help them settle was no more than you will go through when you purchase a baby who needs training and will ultimately reach puberty. So...my recommendation will be adopt a parrot in need, accept and address any problems and love it for life.

[FONT=&quot]Baggage (The Meaning of Rescue)[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]
By Evelyn Colbath(c)1995 Baggage All rights reserved[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Now that I'm home, bathed, settled and fed,
All nicely tucked in my warm new bed,
I'd like to open my baggage,
Lest I forget,
There is so much to carry,
[/FONT][FONT=&quot] So much to regret.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hmmm...Yes, there it is, right on the top,
Let's unpack Loneliness, Heartache and Loss,
And there by my perch hides Fear and Shame.
As I look on these things I tried so hard to leave,
I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain.
I loved them, the others, the ones who left me,
[/FONT][FONT=&quot] But I wasn't good enough - for they didn't want me.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Will you add to my baggage?
Will you help me unpack?
Or will you just look at my things,
[/FONT][FONT=&quot] And take me right back?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Do you have the time to help me unpack?
To put away my baggage, to never repack?
I pray that you do - I'm so tired you see,
But I do come with baggage,
Will you still want me?[/FONT]

 

[chris-md]

NO NO NO.

a rehomed bird doesn’t always mean a damaged bird. That is a huge misconception. Birds are rehomed for many reasons: owners dying, owners moving to places where the bird can’t follow, just to name a few. You can’t assume a rehomed bird is a behavioral problem child.

I can’t emphasize Ellies advice enough. Either way (baby vs adopting a behavioral work in progress), you have to train your way up from the bottom.

As noodles says, puberty can give you demonstrable behavioral issues you have to work through. So do you want to work through hormones or do you want to work through learned behavior? Pick your (somewhat similar) poison.

 

[saxguy64]

Wonderful advice and considerations above, and sorry if this gets too long.

My experience is slightly different, sort of. Ekkies have a reputation for being perch potatoes, and my first one definitely was. Not so much inactive, as much as preferring to sit facing me, and study me. For parronts who've had "the one," that was him. Baggage? No question. Horrible bird farm bred for PetSmart, rehomed several times, passed from rescue to rescue all across the country, last of which was basically a hoarder who claimed to be an Ekkie rescue. There, he spent 11 years with crappy diet, little attention, and was already plucking before he got there. That place finally had all their birds confiscated, and Patches found himself at our nearest refuge, at 18 years old. Still not a home, but a wonderful refuge where he made miraculous progress. He found me. He chose me, and oh, did he love me. Like I said, he was the one. Sadly, the damage was done, and in less than a year, he passed in my arms on the way from my vet to the nearest avian ICU. I miss him terribly, but I have no regrets. For the last part of his life, he had a forever home, and knew how much he was loved. He was so worth it.

Fast forward a little, the refuge takes in another Ekkie boy. Enter Tucker. He's well socialized, sweet, hangs with almost anyone, perfect feathers except no tail? Yeah, previous owner had tried to grab him, caught him by the tail, and ripped it out. They surrendered him and his flock mate, a Patagonian conure both. Guy had severe PTSD. Severe stress caused the birds to start screaming, and the screaming made the PTSD uncontrollable. Poor guy was to the point where he was going to harm the birds or himself. So Tucker... Baggage, yup, but totally situational. He's perfect. At least as perfect as a bird can be for me and my family. And, not a perch potato at all. Extremely active, brilliant flyer, destroys toys constantly. Busy boy.

Now here's the trick. During the visiting process before adopting him, a lovely YNA found me, and chose me. Eventually, I took her home too. She was surrendered because her only family of 17 years decided to sell their home and try the RV lifestyle. Baggage, sure. She was VERY particular of who she would tolerate. After a year at the refuge, I was the first guy she allowed to handle her. At all. She adores me, and again, for me, she's perfect. Problem is, she doesn't like Tucker.

This brings me to my point. It can work if you have the time, energy, and desire. My two can not be out of their cages at the same time. Poor Tucker wants nothing more than to woo Baxter. He would love her, snuggle her, feed her, do anything for her. (Male Ekkie thing) Baxter however, wants nothing to do with that. She would without question remove his feet or worse if given the chance. So, I have my routines. I alternate their daddy time throughout the day, right down to who's turn to shower with me today... I knew going in to it that this was a possibility. Hoped for them to get along, but like they say, hope for the best, plan for the worst. No regrets. I love them both dearly.

By now, you've noticed my preference for rescues. They're so worth it, and deserve the chance to have a forever home. I much prefer an adult bird, since their personalities are more established. I think it's easier to know what you're getting and work with it than hoping a baby will turn out a certain way after puberty. It might take some time, but most parrots are well equipped to be able to "reset." New home, fresh start. Build trust from the ground up, as you would with a baby. Baxter is my prime example. She was almost considered unadoptable before she found me. She decided I was her person, and that was that.

Hope this lends some perspective of possibilities. YMMV.

 

[Jenny93]

I understand. Both my dogs are rescued from the streets with horrible stories. They're super loving now and I know what you mean, but in Bulgaria we don't have any bird shelters - it's just not a thing and just random people (3 at the moment) are selling their birds (for regular price) most likely because they've beed used for breeding or i don't know. That's the reason I'm not sure. And as I'm going to spend my whole life with this bird I'm having trouble making a decision. Aren't parrots like any live being? You say they can change entirely after puberty, but so can humans and dogs and cats. Is it much different than that?

 

[saxguy64]

First, thank you for rescuing your dogs, and also for researching a future flock mate. So much to learn!

I was unsure where you are from. We have members from all over the world, and understand that there are cultural differences, and differing availability.

Don't get me wrong, I have no issue with getting a baby bird, and totally understand the attraction. They are adorable, sweet, and may be very accepting of people while they figure out who they are. It's just my personal preference and comfort zone. Where each bird is an individual personality, I would say don't necessarily write off an adult that's being sold. As mentioned, not all of them have bad issues. That said, many of our members have wonderful experiences with their baby birds. Others make mistakes, or have unreasonable expectations, and wind up rehoming. So, the more open mind you have, the more options will be available to you.

I wish you good luck in your decision, I know it can be difficult. Again, thank you for doing your research ahead of time.

 

[noodles123]

Dogs and cats change less than birds at puberty and many are spayed / neutered. Dogs and cats just generally calm down and become more docile in comparison to their crazier puppy/kitten selves. Birds change in a less desirable was in the eyes of most people because it can seem like they are sweet and quiet for years, then biting and screaming and sometimes pushing away from their fav person (or obsessing over them in a very intense way). Furthermore,dogs and cats don't start misinterpreting their relationship with their human as sexual (the way birds often do) and if you pet a dog on it's back, you won't send it the wrong message. If you send the wrong message enough or trigger a bird enough, you can end up with a bird that is super anxious, feather mutilating etc. You just don't see that kind of stuff in dogs and cats.


I am not saying you can't get a baby, but it's easier to make mistakes while raising babies and harder to predict their future persona even if you don't make any mistakes. Plus, at least here, there are many adult birds in need of good homes.

 

[Laurasea]

I'm pro rescue, cuz so many in need. But I've gotten weaned babies too. So what's right for you.

As babies green cheeks, and all baby birds are sweet . Then because they are smart and individual, they start to express that. Then they hit puberty , and can at first be overwhelmed by these hormones. So tgey act like teenage humans, who csn be hard to deal with. Then they settle down, but can have extra screaming, defend cage, and be moody during each breeding season. Most of have to deal with thus each year. Or twice a year to dome extent. Some burds its not that noticed, some are a real pill during those times. Owners who haven't gone through this before, wrongly think that their burd has turned mean, or hates them, or has become a bad bird. And that is not true at all!! So they are given up are dold... having some patience and sympathy during breeding season is important. As is keeping them busy, and well social, teaching boundaries, exercise, diversion really helps. For larger parrots this rough patch can take a couple of years to get through, and maturity helps the parrot handle it better.