| Eclectus Lounge |
| Both the male and female Eclectus can learn to talk clearly and distinctly, and develop a very animated personality and charm of their very own. They will entertain you spontaneously with a hysterical monologue of every phrase they know, complete with inflections and melodious tones that they come up with all by themselves. Solomon Island Eclectus are 12"-13" tall The name Eclectus is derived from the word eclectic because of the sexually dimorphic coloration of the male and female. The males are varying shades of green depending upon their subspecies, and have brilliant red splashes of color on their wing bends and sides. From the age of about one year, they have a striking candy corn beak. The females are varying shades of red, blue, lavender, and purple. All adult females have jet black beaks. The pronunciation of the name of the Eclectus parrot is "E-cleck-tus." Origin: They originated from Cape York Peninsula of Australia, the islands of Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, and New Guinea. Only a few of these subspecies are commonly available in aviculture & they are the Grand, Red Sided, Vosmaeri , and Solomon Island. Talking Ability: Both the male and female Eclectus can learn to talk clearly and distinctly, and develop a very animated personality and charm of their very own. They will entertain you spontaneously with a hysterical monologue of every phrase they know, complete with inflections and melodious tones that they come up with all by themselves. Eclectus parrots are generally classified among the top three parrots for talking ability. Rivaling the African Grey and the talking Amazon parrots in clarity of speech and scope of vocabulary, they not only repeat many words and phrases but some learn entire songs. Eclectus parrots enjoy repeating interesting sounds as well as words and phrases learned from their human companions. Many Eclectus owners have been fooled by phantom doorbells, running water, and family members talking in absentia. Some males have melodious voices while others sound more masculine, but nearly all Eclectus females have the most charming sweet and seductive voice--full and throaty like that of a "southern belle opera singer." Housing: The proper cage size for the Eclectus parrot is to buy the largest cage or aviary that your space and budget will accommodate. Horizontal space is important due to the large wingspan of the Eclectus. They require daily exercise and their cage must be wide enough to allow them to flap their wings vigorously if they are unable to fly in the home or in a large aviary. Three feet is a good width if they are to spend a good deal of time in the cage. Cage height is important because of their love of climbing. A macaw-style cage allows enough vertical space for a boing toy or swing to be hung inside the cage. Otherwise, a four or five foot cotton rope and a swing are standard Eclectus cage equipment. Wood toys for chewing and destruction can prevent a bird from becoming interested in overgrooming and possibly destroying its feathers. Diet: It has been reported that Eclectus have a longer than average intestinal tract to accommodate the high fiber diet that they require. They have been observed in the wild eating many types of fruits, flowers, and vegetable matter. The Eclectus digestive system seems to be extremely efficient at assimilating nutrients from foods. This is due to the high percentage of fibrous fruits and vegetables that make up their diet in the wild. These foods are "nutrient-sparse" foods as opposed to "nutrient-dense" foods. Since they assimilate nutrients so efficiently, they can exhibit symptoms such as "repetitive foot clenching and wing flicking" if over-supplemented or fed too many rich foods. Unless a vitamin or mineral deficiency is diagnosed with blood tests, they should not be supplemented. Even pellets which have a full complement of vitamins and minerals can be too rich for the Eclectus system. Natural juicy foods of deep color including greens, sprouts, fruits and vegetables should be the mainstay of their diet. They do not need vitamin A supplements or shots, as was thought many years ago. They will assimilate all the vitamin A that they need from the colorful orange, yellow, red, and green foods like pomegranates, mangos, cantaloupe, carrots, red and green bell peppers, kale, collards, dandelion and other greens. All parrots should be given organically grown produce whenever possible. When fresh fruits and vegetables are not possible, dehydrated fruits and vegetables are great! Many birds love to crunch on dried fruits and veggies. The best thing about them is that they don't spoil, so you can leave them in the cage for hours or even days. This is handy when you are trying to get them to accept fruits and veggies. When you are going to be home with them, you can moisten them with warm water to provide fresh-like fruits and veggies. Boy does this come in handy when you are traveling or on an outing! Health: Eclectus are hardy birds that have no species specific health problems. They thrive on exercise, natural foods, and pure water. Noise Level: In general, Eclectus are quiet birds that prefer talking to screaming. Most of them are exceptionally quiet for large parrots, and they are considered suitable for apartment living. They are capable of very harsh, loud calls when threatened with danger. A well- adjusted Eclectus will sit and play quietly most of the time. The noise is greater when there are two or more of them in the same room, or if they are not given adequate attention from their human flock. Sleep: Ten hours sleep is the general rule for Eclectus parrots, but if the family schedule does not allow for ten uninterrupted, quiet hours of sleep, they will make up the lost rest with cat naps during the day. Young Eclectus fledglings play hard and sleep soundly in thirty to sixty minute increments throughout the day. Personality: These parrots are very playful in a graceful way. The male is generally quieter than the female and a little less moody. The female is the dominant gender of the species. When the female reaches breeding age, she may become aggressive. It is instinctive and she will eventually calm down as she matures. Most owners that have families that interact with their Eclectus parrot say they tend to bond to the family rather than just to one person, though they may still have a favorite. Known Behavior Problems: Every Eclectus parrot has a different temperament, just like children. And, just like children, how they are treated and how much time you spend with them will make a difference in how they respond to you. Unlike human children that eventually learn speech and have human instincts. Eclectus parrots respond to body language and the treatment they receive. If an Eclectus parrot interacts with the family on a regular basis, they will love to be with that family. The female may go through a moody stage for a while when her hormones kick in, but she won’t become mean, just bossy! |
| The two sexes of the Eclectus, unlike those of any other parrot, differ dramatically in color. The females, depending on the variety, are a spectacular combination of red, purple, maroon, blue and yellow. The males are almost entirely green, with red under the wings and on the side of the body, with a touch of turquoise on top of the "shoulders". |