Eclectus Parrots
Some Interesting Facts about Eclectus Parrots
Eclectus parrots were named, because of their dimorphic coloring on the male and female, from the word eclectic. The males are different shades of green, and they have bright red color on their sides and wing bends. After they reach a year old, they have a beak that looks like candy corn. The females are various shades of purple, lavender, blue and red. Females of the subspecies Vosmaeri have bright daisy-yellow coloring on their tail, as well. All of the adult females have black beaks.
There are between eight and ten subspecies of eclectus parrots. They were originally found in New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, some Indonesian islands and in the Cape Peninsula area of Australia. You can usually only find the Solomon Island, Vosmaeri, Red-Sided and Grand subspecies available to purchase and breed now.
Eclectus parrots are usually put in the top three as far as parrots with talking ability. Sometimes they even rival the Amazon and African Grays in speech clarity and vocabulary. These birds not only repeat words and sentences, but some can learn entire songs. Chicks sometimes learn their first words even before their mothers wean them, if their owners repeat one word in their presence often. The adults enjoy repeating sounds, in addition to words and phrases. Sometimes they can mimic a doorbell with such convincing accuracy that their owners go to answer the door, only to find no one there. They can also mimic other family members and running water. Some males have masculine voices, while others are more melodious. Most females have seductive and sweet voices – throaty and full like an opera singer. Of course, there are occasional eclectus parrots that never learn to say anything more than hello.
Where should you house your parrots? The simple answer is – buy the biggest cage you can. You might want a cage with some extra width to it, since they have a wide wingspan. They need exercise every day, which means they should be able to stretch their wings even if they can't fly in the house. You need to set the cage at a height which encourages their love of climbing. A four foot rope and a swing will be welcomed by your eclectus parrots. They also like small toys and electronic games made for children. You should provide wooden toys for chewing – otherwise they may over-groom themselves and lose plumage. If you have the space, you should let them out into a play area or a tree to play for at least one hour every day.
Eclectus parrots have been reported to have a long intestinal tract because of the extensive fiber in a proper parrot diet. Their digestive system does well at getting nutrients from the various foods they eat. Since they get so much out of even a low-protein diet in the wild, take care not to over-feed them with pellets or feed if they are caged, since it will generate too much energy with nowhere to work it off. Do not give your parrots extra vitamin supplements unless your vet recommends it, because they get most of their nutritional needs from their feed. They love juicy, natural foods like vegetables and fruits, and these should be the main ingredients of their diet. If you have access to organically grown produce, they are much healthier for your birds.
Select your eclectus parrots with care, and then talk to breeders or your vet if you have any concerns about their health and well-being.