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
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".