ECLECTUS

Eclectus – Appearance:

Eclectus parrots have extremely different colored plumage between males and females. In scientific terms, this is known as sexual dimorphism. Females are crimson red with patches of cobalt blue or deep purple on the nape, abdomen and wings. Males on the other hand are bright green with blue primaries and red underwings. Take a look at the image above, you will notice their beaks are also different. Males have a beautiful two toned orange to yellow gradient whereas the female beaks are charcoal. These birds are so distinct that when the species was first discovered it was believed the male and female Eclectus parrots were different species.

	Harrison’s Adult Lifetime Coarse 5lb
	LAFEBER’S Tropical Fruit Nutri-Berries 3lb
	ZuPreem Pure Fun 2lb – Blend of Fruit, Vegetables, Nuts

Eclectus – Essentials:

When bringing your little birdie home for the first time, you will need to ensure you have the basics sorted beforehand.

• Bird Cage – Eclectus parrots are one of the slightly larger birds so it’s best to buy the largest cage you can afford and fit within your space. As a guide, the cage size should be at least 100cm x 80cm x 150cm (W x L x H). It’s best to line the cage with newspaper to easily clean their droppings/mess.
• Cage Cover – any cloth that covers 90% of the cage so the bird can sleep in darkness e.g. light blanket or sheet
• Perch – at least 4 perches, preferably sturdy natural bark branches to keep their nails naturally trimmed. It’s a great idea to have an external perch i.e. on top of the cage so your bird can explore out of the cage.
• Toys – at least 4 toys to begin with for mental stimulation/entertainment; highly recommend foraging toys or those that can be chewed e.g. large rope knots, wooden blocks, beads, bamboo straws or swings
• Bowls – 3x bowls (one for pellets/nuts, one for fresh fruit/vegetables and the other for water)
• Bath – your Eclectus will need keep clean, so spray bottle or outdoor hose spray will do. If your bird is comfortable with the idea, you can keep a perch in the shower.

Note: Do not keep the perch directly under the shower head, let the bird make its move towards the water first and adapt to the water pressure.

Still not sure? Click here to download our 100% FREE bird care checklist here.

Eclectus – Behavior:

• Socialization: Eclectus parrots are well adapted in captivity as they have a reserved and calm personality. However you should be mindful, these birds need ample amounts of out-of-cage time and bonding time with their owner. Failure to do so will result in your Eclectus self mutilating due to stress, lack of attention or entertainment. Just like any other parrot, if they feel threatened they will nip, so any potential owner must be willing to be patient. when training or bonding.

• Vocalization: Although Eclectus parrots are apartment friendly, they can squawk and screech during the hours of sunrise and sunset. These parrots are one of the most intelligent and can be trained to mimic phrases and talk from a very young age.

Eclectus – Breeding:

On average the Eclectus reaches sexual maturity at 2 – 3 years of age and are considered dimorphic breeds. Trust me, you’ll be able to distinguish the male and female pair from a mile away – just read our appearance description above.

Other requirements for breeding are mentioned below:

Requirements:

• Horizontal rectangle shaped nest box made from strong untreated wood (min. dimensions 40x25x60cm – HxWxL) – horizontal nests are preferred as they resemble natural logs which would be used for breeding in the wild
• Nest box filling – non-toxic wood shavings or saw dust; Eclectus parrots prefer high humidity when breeding so you may want to occasionally spray the nest box with plain water

• Mating Partner: polygynandrous – more than one partner for life
• Breeding Season: July – January (Southern Hemisphere)
• Clutch Frequency: 3-4 clutches per year
• Clutch Quantity: 2 eggs per clutch
• Incubation Period: 24 – 26 days
• Weaning: 3-6 months

Eclectus – Health:

Common Issue	Symptoms	Causes
Psittacosis	Appetite loss, fluffed feathers, vomiting, nasal/ocular discharge, diarrhea or pale green feces, breathing difficulties, conjunctivitis, minimal physical movement, tremors	Bacteria: Chlamydia psittaci contracted via infected dried saliva, feathers, mucous and feces
Proventricular Dilatation Syndrome “Macaw Wasting Syndrome“	Loss of appetite, vomiting, passing of undigested food in feces, weight loss, overall body weakness, head tremors seizures	Avian Bornavirus (ABV) contracted through feces, saliva and other bodily secretions from birds – causes nerve inflammation
Feather Plucking	Form of self mutilation by plucking their own feathers, leaving bald patches of skin	Boredom, lack of mental stimulation, poor diet, illness, stress
Psittacine Beak & Feather Disease	Sharp, clubbed or abnormally short feathers, pigment loss in colored feathers, bloody feather shafts	Beak & Feather Disease Virus (BFDV) contracted from other infected birds e.g. oral – parent feeding young or ingestion of virus particles in dust feces
Aspergillosis	Weight loss, lethargy, constantly fluffed feathers, difficulty breathing, cloudy eyes, droopy wings	Aspergillus fungus: exposure to spores found in dust, mold, soil – mainly affects malnourished or immunocompromised birds
Malnutrition	Nasal discharge, sneezing, wheezing conjunctivitis, poor feather quality, weakness, egg binding, embryonic death	Vitamin A or Calcium deficiency
Worms	Diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, malnutrition or blood in feces	Ascaris roundworm or flatworms – eggs passed in droppings

Did You Know?

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