Eclectus as companions

[Wings]

I am doing more and more research, and am looking at eclectus now. I have so many choices of parrots it's so hard to choose! I also hear that the species personality is considered "blunt, dull" and they do not form strong bonds i doubt this is true, is it?. I prefer the female birds (more attracted to a male owner) as the personality is much more spicy, and would bond better than a male. Which species would you recommend? Vosmaeri, red-sided, or solomon island and why? I have a poll above this thread for your convenience. In your post include why you voted for the species. Have fun and thanks for helping me out

 

[sodakat]

It makes me very nervous when people with little birds consider buying Eclectus. Keeping them separated for safety sake is very important. They will not be companions to each other.

I love the females but prefer to keep males too. I don't think they should be kept as single birds unless you can include them in your daily activities. They are very intelligent and do not like being alone. Three of my birds came to me as adult pluckers. They came from different homes but were all kept as single birds who spent most of their time by themselves.

Solomon's seem to be a bit less dependent but even so, they too can suffer from loneliness.

 

[Wings]

Thank you for your concern. I would not expect any larger parrot to even INTERACT with my budgie. You forget, many of my other posts state clearly that i have lots of bird experience, I just have one bird because i don't believe in a "practice" bird. Anyway, your eclectus bird "Bella" is just gorgeous! I love her tail feathers. Is she a Vosmaeri?

 

[moni.k]

There's never a dull moment with an eclectus. They are very independent which personally was the main determining factor for choosing an ekkie, for a full time student who volunteers and works, I couldn't imagine any other bird to fit my lifestyle. Although she spends over 6 hours outside of the cage, I really appreciate her independent nature. I can clean, study, etc. with her happily playing on the perch. She continues to make me smile with all of her cute antics and voices. Her favorite game is to hide behind her toy, then pop her head out and say "peekaboo!!"

Blunt: yes and no? She doesn't hide her emotions and moods very well which helps me read her body language. I can tell just by the sounds of her calls what she wants, whether its food, affection, fear or pain from falling. She definitely picks and chooses who she likes, tolerates and loathes. So far, it's been mixed and a bit difficult getting her to socialize (especially with my older brother...). She lets it be known when she wants to be held and when she doesn't. We're still working on manners and forming boundaries, after all she still is a little baby and there's a lot of work still to be done.

Personally, I couldn't have picked a more perfect feathered companion. Nalani's my first bird that I've ever owned and there's been a lot of patience tested (on both ends of the stick), but we love each other nonetheless. What I found that really was helpful in choosing an eclectus, was my lifestyle. Because of my unpredictable future as a pre-veterinary student, I didn't and still don't know if I would be living in an apartment, renting a room, living with roommates who have allergies, or have the time allotted to own a "needier" bird. I wanted a fid that would be independent, handle stress a bit easier (reason why I chose a female instead of a male), was affectionate but not overly demanding of attention, intelligent and one that I can form a life long bond and friendship with. A female eclectus fit the bill perfectly, and although each bird is different and unique, after getting to know Nalani and working with her, I know she and I match perfectly.

I hope you find the perfect companion, whether it ends up being an eclectus or not. The key is to reflect on your current life (work, school, environment) and then your possible future (where will you live in the next 10 years.. or 20, etc., who will you be living with, what kinds of career will you be working in). Not just the present but the future is just as important in determining the right fid.

 

[Wings]

I work from home so it's all good. Anyway, thank you for your input. I am more open to eclectus, but Vasas are cool too.

 

[brianlinkles]

I work from home so it's all good. Anyway, thank you for your input. I am more open to eclectus, but Vasas are cool too.

I have noticed that almost every day you have a new post about another type of bird you want. I don't mean any disrespect whatsoever I am just wondering if you tell us a little bit about yourself maybe we could help you narrow down your search a little.
Maybe your age range, if you live alone, with parents, have children etc. Some of the people with like situations may be able to jump in here and help recommend the birds that have fit nicely into their lifestyles.

 

[sodakat]

Vosmaeri females are beautiful birds indeed. Bella is likely from a Vos crossed with a male that was thought to be Vos but probably wasn't pure. It is get difficult to find a pure Vos that is guaranteed to be Vos.

I have noticed that many Vos females pluck. They need to be kept busy.

 

[Chikoo]

Sodakat, what subspecies is Rose? She looks a lot like my female, but my female has just the slightest yellow tinge to the bottom of her tail feather. Maybe she got some Vos in there somehow, although she is a rather small bird, like Solomon size.

 

[CaitlinBird]

I voted for the solomon vos because I met a little baby girl at 1-2 Tweet Birds today. And yes, even at a young age these birds CHEW AND SHRED! Something new has to be put in the cage every few days to keep them from plucking. Kind of like my moluccan...

 

[sodakat]

Sodakat, what subspecies is Rose? She looks a lot like my female, but my female has just the slightest yellow tinge to the bottom of her tail feather. Maybe she got some Vos in there somehow, although she is a rather small bird, like Solomon size.

Rose is Solomon. The color in my Sig pic is not quite true on her or Sully and if makes Sully look much smaller than he actually is. Rose has light red tips on her tail feathers.

Now Lolly however, has orange tips on most tail feathers and yellow on a couple. She is a cross for sure. Some Grand females seem to have orange tips. I talked to the vet who worked at the facility in Florida listed as the breeder on Lollys leg band and she told me that until female chicks from the Vos they thought they had produced chicks, they didn't realize the males were not Vos. That was 13 years ago. So those birds could have been paired with Solomons and produced crosses that were mostly Solomon. The reason I called was I couldn't figure out what Lolly was and assumed the Florida facility was breeding pure subspecies. They thought they were, but realized they could not identify the males. Eventually they only bred Solomons because they could identify the pairs correctly.

 

[Wings]

It's a shame that the eclectus parrots cannot be identified correctly. It isn't the easiest thing, but with our technology, they should do DNA tests to make sure. May I ask, how did you make your signature?

 

[moni.k]

I am i my 20s, (not going to tell you my exact age because there are some freaky people on the internet), wife, no kids two dogs and a budgie. I live in my own house. Our home can have it's loud moments but generally quiet. The reason i am "wanting" all these types of birds is just to get educated in all types of parrots, and to make sure i make the right choice. And as i said before i have a slight descision making problem Imagine me buying my house...lol I have a price range of around $5000 for the initial cost/bird itself. I hope I helped out some more!

So what particularly are you looking for? It seems like you have the space and environment to really pick any type of bird. Why not try visiting a bird sanctuary or rescue, maybe even a bird store and meet them in person. Who knows, you may fall in love with a bird you'd never expected. I met a couple different ekkies and other parrots prior to picking Nalani. But when I met Nalani, it was serious love at first sight. There was a Red Sided female eclectus (same exact age as Nalani), but the connection just wasn't there. Internet sources, books and other people's experiences can only give you so much information. Sometimes, experiencing and handling the birds yourself can be the "best" research.

 

[Wings]

That's the thing. I have visited parrot rescues and bird stores. I have had many great encounters and some terrible ones, and I am looking for a more intelligent bird, which is gentle, yet can still be playful/goofy. I know all birds are different, but i am speaking in generality.

 

[nicki]

This hits home for me. Over 10 years ago I decided Ekkies were the birds for me, but the ones I met were very unlike I expected. I think this is with any bird. Especially in bird shops I have visited, OK this is weird, but I think of Macaws like the jocks, Cockatoos as the cheerleader types and Ekkies are the weirdos that keep to themselves

I've visited so many bird shops hours and sometimes states away to find that bird that would pick me. Always a cockatoo, too demanding and destructive for my tastes, although very charming

Also realize that every single bird is an individual. Intelligent, playful, goofy can be many a different species depending on their personality. What I chose was getting a baby ekkie and sticking to it. I did decide on this particular breed because they were not known to be loud, had a decent vocab and did not bond to any particular family members and more of a flock bird.

My bird is pretty loud (as in can be heard outside the house if I am doing lawn work), doesn't talk YET (I do not expect this of him, I will love him regardless) and I was his primary caregiver, he bonded to me although my husband tries hard, his heart is with me <3

I think these are very important points to express to any future parronts It's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get

 

[brianlinkles]

I have read probably every thread that you have talked about getting a bird. I think that my suggestion would be a rb2. I love my grey and if I had to get one type of bird it would be a grey. That said she is very "dignified" I cannot say that she is particularily goofy however she is loads of fun! She talks, she loves to be with me, on me, by me. She loves to lay her beak on my face (her way of giving kisses) She would love to be an only bird but she puts up with the babies that we have bred as well as her brothers. I have met a few greys that were kind of goofy but still not what I think you are looking for. Macaws are great, yes very goofy, they are loud! There are some that are quieter than others but there is not a macaw owner out there that can say that their macaw is quiet. When they let loose you can hear them outside down the road. I am not bothered by bird noises but I can say that I feel bad when I leave the house and my neighbors are outside and they can hear my bird. Now my rb2 is a GOOF! I haven't had him that long but I have been around them a lot. They are friendly, smart & GOOFY! Right now he is playing on the floor with my dogs toys. I am trying hard to keep the toys from him because I am afraid of the germs of the dogs on them. He rolls around on the floor doing summersaults, vocalizing with such joy! It's kind of like he gets into one thing then it's like "ooooh shiny things!" and something else takes his attention away! Then he gets a little tired and flies over just to make sure I'm still here. I just love him! He is feisty, stubborn but he is learning very quickly. They are one of the best fliers out there. My breeder that has many different types of birds says that a grey that has flown for years and an rb2 that has just fledged can fly circles around the grey. In fact many times a clipped rb2 will learn how to fly again. I am glad that you are going to learn to do recall training. I am having such fun with a fully flighted bird. I just read an article on training for recall (it is from the freeflightparrots, I think that's what it's called) they recommend handfeeding your baby that you are going to train. If you decide to go with this recommendation then make sure you go and learn how to do this with your breeder. I have hand fed many babies and I have to say that my rb2 is the most challenging. This may just be him but he is stubborn! I also think that an rb2 fits in well with your budget! The bird is $1500, you already have the cage (they fit well in big cages, their wings are HUGE!) You will be able to load up on toys and that leaves money for a recall class!

 

[Wings]

Wow thanks! I still have loads of research to do but I think a Galah would make an excellent companion! One thing I am worried about is the fatty tumors. I'll talk to my Vet about it.

 

[moni.k]

I was actually looking forward to getting an RB2, was "supposed" to be my next flock member. Unfortunately, the breeder I had put my deposit on ended up with infertile eggs this year. In a weird way, everything seemed to work out better after the news. My little brother (he's 17, haha I guess he isn't that little) wanted a gcc. I decided to put off on an RB2 until I either got into vet school or graduate from vet school (depending on how much time I can manage between school and my pets). So we ended up getting a gcc which so far has been working out great. I spent the RB2 money on some new toys for Nalani and I'm looking into a decently sized aviary for her also. But I've done A LOT of research on RB2s, watched literally every single youtube video on them and even met a few in person. If I was in your shoes, I would snag one immediately!! haha. How can you resist the pink and grey cuteness. They are SUPER cuddly, very affectionate, energetic, adorable, funny and most of all I actually really enjoy their screams. I find it much more bearable and cute compared to ekkie screams. It's a really high pitched shriek unlike the blood curdling squawk of an eclectus. Although, the great thing about ekkies is that they don't scream often. Nalani screams maybe a few times (around 5 squawks) out of the week. Mostly it's due to begging for food or attention.

But I vote RB2 for your next flock member. I think from what you've described, brianlinkles hit the bulls eye.

 

[drlisaort]

I took my time in deciding what parrot species would fit my lifestyle. I have to say, hands down, my male (SI Eclectus) Oliver is "the" bird made for me. He is awesome! He is never, ever boring, lots of fun to watch, very cuddly yet independent, never loud with the exception of talking over loud sounds like the blender, et cetera, and he is very, very smart. I can tell him things to do and he does it. For instance, when I take him out of his cage I like him to go to the lower perch and he does without hesitation. He offers his foot to step up with very little prompting, he comes to me when I call him. He is amazing, amazing, amazing!!!

 

[Wings]

That sounds like you two are inseparable buddies! I have so many choices, i'm looking into lories too, as well as rb2's, and certainly eclectus. I am going to visit my bird rescue, and probably going to come home with a couple moluccans.(LOL)...

 

[maillet]

If you would like a bird who is content to sit on your shoulder for hours upon hours a day, although is up for playing 2 - 4 Hours a day than an Electus is the parrot brand.

If you would like an intelligent bird who can easily learn tricks and new words without being overly needy or loud, but at same time less affectionate than this is your bird.

If you want a bird who will be fun to watch all of the time, one who loves to socialize and be the center of attention, and talks all the time. This breed is definitely not for you!

Electus are like the philosophers of the parrot world. They are highly intelligent birds but like to sit back and watch before they become involved. They are also intimately more accurate to body language and emotions because they think first before action, and this behavior has earned them the name "dull" when it should be more "cautious"