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Forum THE LOUNGE Eclectus Parrots, anyone own one?

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    • Azerane
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        So today’s been a bit of an exciting day. Some people at work know that I know a thing or two about identifying birds, so someone came up to me with a photo asking me if I could identify a bird that was sitting on some shelving in garden section. I instantly ID’d as an Eclectus parrot. We went and had a look and the bird was still there so I caught it (definitely someone’s pet) and now I’ve set up a temporary cage and have had the bird home for about over an hour.

        The bird instantly went down to the water bowl and drank, and has since been eating capsicum and apple. Seems really quite hungry so I imagine has been out and about for more than a day, not just a few hours or today. I think apple is only a treat food, but I’m really stuck on what the actual basics of the diet should be. I’ve posted to lost and found sites, so it’s just a matter of waiting and seeing now. I’m sure that someone will claim the bird (sorry I’m not posting gender, I’m just paranoid that someone will magically track this post on here and claim the bird as their own since they know the gender and they’re quite a valuable pet bird).

        So yes, that’s my day, we have a new temporary pet which is pretty exciting and it’s really a beautiful bird. So those who don’t know what they look like, check out the photo in the link below. The male is the green bird, and the female is the red bird: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8a/55/1e/8a551eee45902d4c2de140f76b5903a5.jpg

        Will definitely post photos at some point, maybe in a few days or after it’s been claimed.

        Also, I’m so glad that some of my rabbit toys were from the bird section, I’ve got them hanging up in the cage


      • Azerane
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          Ok, so a quick update already Can you tell I’m excited about this bird? lol.

          I rang a well-respected local bird dealer and asked them about the best seed mix for an Eclectus, and best fruits and veg for daily feeding. Then I did a quick trip to the store for a few supplies. No idea how long I’ll have this bird for, but it’s already eaten half a capsicum, 1/4 of an apple, 1/2 a leaf of silverbeet and is now chowing down on seeds. I feel like it’s going to be an expensive time, haha. I think it was pretty hungry. It literally sat there eating for an hour straight after I put it in the cage.

          Seems very well hand-tamed, took a piece of silverbeet from my fingers through the bars, though I got a bit nervous putting the seed bowl in, as it saw the seed and came climbing over and was reaching for the seed while I was still holding the bowl, so I suppose that’s a good sign. It still makes me a little nervous though, they have a pretty large beak for their size.


        • jerseygirl
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            Cool house guest! I think I’d just be sitting watching it all the time. Lol.
            Hopefully it can be reunited with its owner.

            I think Stickerbunny is pretty bird savvy. LBJ10 too, I know she’s handle a lot of different animals. Sounds like you’ve gotten some good advice now.


          • Azerane
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              It is a pretty cool house guest Have watched it a fair bit, mostly trying to get a good look at the wings to see whether they’re clipped which I’m certain the right isn’t, but not sure on the left.

              Tell you what though, my lounge room smells gross this morning, haha. When I first brought it home yesterday all the poops were very watery. Today they’re very smelly with white and black/green in them. So I’m guessing it hadn’t eaten in at least a day or two given there was no substance to them.

              Thanks for the advice on some users. The bird dealer was really helpful and I’ve managed to find a really infomative website now too. If I’m going to take care of someone else’s pet, no matter how long it’s for I want to be doing it right. If I get a chance this afternoon I want to take it to a vet to check for a microchip, just not sure how I’m going to get it out the cage, lol.


            • LBJ10
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                I love Eclectus parrots! They are the only (?) parrot to exhibit sexual dimorphism. Most of my experience is with raptors, but if I remember right I think Eclectus parrots need more fruit/veggies and less seeds than other parrots. Their digestive system is different.


              • Azerane
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                  They are awesome I’m not sure on the sexual dimophism thing, depends what they class as parrots, and how different you want them to be. Some rosellas can be told apart from the vibrancy of colour, but nothing as dramatic as with Eclectus. Thanks for the tips When I first got it home, it ate the capsicum and apple straight away and had a bit of silverbeet. But ever since I gave her some seeds she doesn’t really seem to want to touch the fruit and veg anymore. I found that their diet should be 80% soft food, and 20% seed. I’ve currently taken the seed bowl out and offered some fresh fruit and veg again but not luck yet. I don’t want to starve it!


                • LBJ10
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                    There is some sexual dimorphism in other parrots, but nothing like this species. With most parrots you cannot tell the males and females apart at all. But I suppose it depends on what you call a parrot too. So yeah, it’s pretty cool. You know people originally thought they were two separate species?

                    I imagine the seeds are kind of like candy to them. But also the higher calorie food might be more attractive right now since it sounds like he/she hasn’t eaten for some time. Even wild bunnies are attracted to seeds and other high calorie foods when food is scarce and they need to fatten up.


                  • Azerane
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                      Yep, it’s pretty crazy, but not an unexpected mistake when you think about it.

                      Fortunately its just started eating some of the fruit and veg. I took the seeds out about 2 hours ago. I’m not really sure how frequently parrots eat, although I read online that people often feed 2-3 meals a day. I’m thinking if I leave the seeds in during the morning, then take them out during the middle of the day and offer fresh fruit and veg then it will be more inclined to eat some more of that instead of seeds. Currently enjoying red capsicum and apple, seems to be avoiding the cucumber and silverbeet Although literally as I’ve typed that it’s just finished a piece of apple and selected cucumber. And then dropped it after only a few bites, lol. Funny bird.


                    • LBJ10
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                        Hmm, now the big question. What color are they really? Hehehehehe!

                        Bonus: They can see ultraviolet light!


                      • Azerane
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                          Well, we had someone stop by today to double-check whether the bird was his or not, I didn’t think it was for multiple reasons but he wanted to be sure which was fair enough. He was nice enough to bring a small bag of seed with in case we needed it. So we still don’t know who owns the bird. I’ve been trying to get in contact with a someone who advertised a lost add a couple of months ago but no response yet.

                          This morning I actually noticed a pretty key ID feature which should help with finding the correct owner. Still, come monday, we might see if we can somehow get the bird into a carrier to take to a vet to check for a microchip. Although that may also have to be something that has to wait a week or so that the bird can trust us to get it into a carrier.


                        • jerseygirl
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                            I think some of the people that run the Lost and Found sites carry scanners. Could you arrange someone to come to you perhaps?


                          • Azerane
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                              That’s actually not a bad idea, it would certainly save a lot of trouble. The bird seems reasonably friendly, but I’m not sure that it’s hand tame. We haven’t tried to handle it but the guy who came over to check if it was his tried to get the bird to step up and it just wanted to bash his hand with its beak That being said, it could be a result of him being a stranger, or simply the trauma of however long the bird has been escaped. Will look into that option though, certainly a less stressful option for the bird.


                            • Azerane
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                                I’m a little concerned this afternoon because the bird has started sneezing, however I feel like it may simply be some fruit or veg somehow stuck in the nostrils, because it’s beak rubbing and scratching it’s beak a lot. So I’m hoping it passes and it’s not an illness or something brought on by being out in the wild for some time. I can’t imagine parrot vet visits are particularly cheap, lol.

                                Otherwise the bird is doing well, a tiny bit more noise today (maybe one sound every hour or two). Although I did freak it out this morning because I went out to get some thicker sticks for better perches and it didn’t like me putting those in the cage at all. Has settled down now though and seems to be coming out of its shell and has just started trying to pull the blanket through the bars of the cage to mess with and poking at one of the toys. Before now it has just eaten, preened and rested in one spot. Still eating well, likes rockmelon as well as capsicum and apple, still not keen on the cucumber or silverbeet but I will continue to offer it. Today I also found out that sprouted seeds are better than dry seeds, so I’m experimenting with starting some of those today, just with the bird seed mix I bought, rather than offering just dry seed in the morning.

                                Still waiting to hear back on the possibility of a home microchip check. In the meantime, I’m discovering how much work parrots are So far I haven’t heard from any other potential owners either, which really surprises me. Because if I’d lost a bird like this I would be searching high and low for a long time. I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see. I bet it will be just long enough for me to get really attached… 


                              • Azerane
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                                  The parrot is still here. We had someone kindly stop by today to check for a microchip. The bird actually handled it really well, tried to bite the microchip scanner of course, but wasn’t completely freaked out. I’ve also posted the bird on a few more lost and found sites and have had a couple more texts and calls but with no success yet.

                                  Apparently this morning while I was at work, my husband kept getting woken up by very loud, high pitched bird sounds So it must be feeling quite a bit better, haha.


                                • LBJ10
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                                    Glad birdie is feeling more comfortable. Too bad there wasn’t a microchip. =\


                                  • MoxieMeadows
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                                      Good luck in finding the bird’s owners. My sister is obsessed with birds (and orcas, we have a dog named Tillikum ha ha), and one of her favorites is the Eclectus parrot. =]


                                    • Azerane
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                                        Thanks, still no luck finding an owner. Which I don’t particularly mind because I’m loving taking care of the bird. But I certainly know how I would feel if it was my bird lost. Yesterday I remembered I had some leftover bunny seagrass mats that I’d never used so I hung one of those up in the cage sort of like a hammock and the bird has been enjoying using it and nibbling on it.

                                        I’m also finally getting the hang of the food prep. I’d been making it individually each morning (and almost being late for work each day) so tonight I made about 6 meals (hopefully) worth of mixed chop. Silverbeet, broccoli (leaves, stem and florets), cucumber, green beans, dandelion leaves, thyme, red capsicum, carrot and pumpkin. The three bags are for freezing and the container is going in the fridge. I’ll be adding sprouted seeds in the morning when I dish it up, then after I get home from work adding some fruit, either apple, rockmelon or banana.


                                      • MoxieMeadows
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                                          I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned it already (And I’m about to leave so I can’t re-read all the comments) but birds are super sensitive to chemicals and teflon (non-stick stuff) which is in a lot more stuff than you’d imagine, pans, waffle makers, space heaters, certain hair curling irons/straighteners, etc. So it’s good to avoid anything with teflon. (of course there are teflon free alternatives though)


                                        • Azerane
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                                            Yes I have read about that. I wasn’t aware that some heaters had teflon. We have a gas heater on our wall here but I’m not sure if it would have teflon or how I would find out.


                                          • MoxieMeadows
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                                              When we aren’t sure we call the manufacturer, or look it up online. Sometimes you can find it out on the internet, sometimes you can’t.


                                            • Azerane
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                                                Just thought I’d give a quick update here, we still have the bird. It’s pretty much consumed my available free time etc. Lots of cleaning, lots of high supervision out of cage time, lots of research etc. It’s coming out of its shell more and more and has come down onto my lap twice to investigate and today even landed on my shoulder (which made me quite nervous since the two times the bird was on my lap, it attacked my hand after it came to close on purpose). I’ve not had anyone else contact me about the bird which is really odd so I’m just spending more money on healthy Ecky foods and buying a new toy or two here and there. Fortunately we have a supply of eucalyptus branches in the yard which I’m using as perches and enrichment in the cage, but they won’t last forever from just one tree so I’m going to have to find some other sources, will have to raid the one at my mum’s place

                                                The nights have been getting quite cold here lately too, so I’d been starting to use the heater for a few hours before bed a couple days ago. And now today it seems to be broken, which isn’t much fun. It seems to not be getting power. Usually when you turn it on at the power point it will make a loud click, then I light the pilot light, and then turning the main flame on it clicks again before the gas starts coming out. Except today I turned it on at the power point and there was no click. I could still light the pilot light but because there’s no power, it doesn’t allow gas flow to the main burner either. So no heat for us until at least Monday (probably the earliest we can get someone to come look at it). Poor us and poor Ecky are probably going to be quite cold.


                                              • jerseygirl
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                                                  So is the plan to keep Ecky if no one does come forward?
                                                  ps. PM’d you re. gas heater.


                                                • Azerane
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                                                    Yes, that does seem to be the plan. We’re not the sort to give away an animal, even if we don’t technically have an obligation to it. My husband grew up with parrots so he’s already attached as am I, even though I deny it, lol.


                                                  • jerseygirl
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                                                      I thought that might be the case. Especially since you seem to have given it a name.

                                                      I’m the same way and pretty much that’s the reason why I have several rabbits. 


                                                    • LBJ10
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                                                        Well, if you’re keeping Ecky then that means you can tell us what “it” is! =D


                                                      • MoxieMeadows
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                                                          Well good thing Ecky found you guys. And I think we’re ready for some pictures if you are definitely keeping the bird.


                                                        • Azerane
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                                                            I would say definitely yes, but there’s always still the possibility that the owner will show up, even if it’s been more than three weeks. We don’t have a proper bird cage at the moment, which is something I will need to get, but I wanted to wait for at least a month before committing to such a big purchase (so another week and a half yet). It’s a tough situation, because if the owner shows up in two months time, I’ll be giving the bird back. We haven’t reached the set time of, it’s our bird now. But that doesn’t mean we’re not going to keep looking after it.

                                                            I’m tempted to share pictures, you guys make it tough. I’ll give it one more week so it’s been a solid four and then I share with you guys Just think how much better it will be knowing after even more suspense I will share some cage pictures though

                                                            Just two of the 5 or so setups we’ve been through so far. Started out even more bare than the first image because at the time I just needed to get it done, but I’m preferring it much more busy now with lots of perches going everywhere and lots of foliage. Plus with lots of out of cage time it gives me more opportunity to rearrange and add things. The cage is on top of my rabbit condo (which in hindsight was a poor move because I’m now going to have to pull much of it apart and soak and scrub all the grids), I didn’t really have anywhere else to put it though. The cage is actually composed of puppy/rabbit playpen panels, that are just held together with cable ties. It’s about 110cm wide, 55cm deep, and 62cm high (I did the exact same thing for a hospital cage for Bandit after I had him neutered). If we still have the bird when the time comes to buy a cage, I’m looking at something with a cage size of 100w, 60d, and 120 high. I’d like to go deeper, but any deeper cage with a seed skirt on won’t fit through our doorways. And I’d like to be able to get the bird outside regularly for sunlight, unless I get a smaller cage for that as well, but probably not at this stage. One cage is expensive enough


                                                            And today’s reiteration. I bought a calcium perch the other day to help try to wear down the nails a bit, but it’s not really very well used where it is so I’m either going to have to add something really tempting in that corner, or more likely move the perch. Lots of foliage with flowers, extra branches, lots of climbing and foraging opportunities


                                                          • Azerane
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                                                              Well I promised a picture when we reached a month, so here it is. My husband suggested the name Dory, because I found her, and it relates to the upcoming movie “Finding Dory” The name has stuck and the past couple of days I’ve started to use it. Except it seems now that whenever I say “Hello, Dory” she gives me this high pitched squeak that just bursts your ear drums So that’s fun.

                                                              Things had been progressing pretty well until this afternoon. I received a package I ordered of bird related goodies which included a clicker so I started some introductory clicker training for the taming process. It went really well, until after when I stopped the session. She followed me for more treats which resulted in her ending up on my shoulder (something that I’m not ok with given that she’s not hand tame yet). After a few moments of it going well, she bit me very hard on the back of the neck near my spine and held on. Needless to say, I was less than impressed, it hurt way more than I expected and my neck is still very sore from it. I’m sure I must have done something wrong to get a bite response, just still learning what I’m supposed to do in order to handle that situation.

                                                              Anyway, here’s the traitor herself, enjoying some eucalyptus flowers from the garden.


                                                            • jerseygirl
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                                                                Oh how pretty!!! Hi Dory!!


                                                              • Gina.Jenny
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                                                                  Hi Dory


                                                                • LBJ10
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                                                                    Aww, I love her! She’s so beautiful!

                                                                    Since she is a girl (female eclectus parrots are territorial), I think this article might help you: http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-magazines/bird-talk/2010-february/shoulder-perch.aspx


                                                                  • Azerane
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                                                                      Thanks guys, and thanks for the link LBJ10, yes I’ve read some terrifying stories both about parrots on shoulders, and also about moody female Eclectus, especially around molting time. So many things to look forward to My concern at the moment with her coming on my shoulder, is that since she can fly, it’s not always something I can control, and once she’s up there, I have no way to remove her because she’s not yet hand tame. But there’s plenty of time for learning and taming yet. I do sometimes wish I’d found something like a cockatiel, not an eclectus, lol.


                                                                    • Azerane
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                                                                        I’ve been browsing cages online for a while now in case we ended up with Dory for any length of time. A month in a temporary cage is long enough I think. My play pen is fairly old and I am concerned about the coating and some slight rust in some areas so I’d rather she was out of it (plus it’s sitting on top of my NIC condo and I’m tired of it being coated in bird poop, I don’t want it to ruin the grids. It basically means the top half of my condo needs to be completely dismantled, soaked, scrubbed and rebuilt). I’ve managed to find some decent prices for cages on both ebay and gtmall, nothing on Gum Tree except rusted out old things Although today at work it was mentioned to me that someone is looking to get rid of/sell their cages, so I need to see them and ask what sizes and prices they’re looking for and see what condition they’re in. That is after I e-mail the agent and confirm with the landlord that it would be ok for us to keep her long term, because that is really the main issue. I told them we were looking after her and looking for an owner, but they don’t yet know we still have her (well they might, our landlords are our neighbours and it’s possible they hear her from time to time).

                                                                        I’m just so thankful that in February this year I started a really strict saving plan, it has helped us out so much with unexpected things (like random rescue birds) and now potentially a cage purchase. One day I’ll get to have a bunny again, I hope she likes rabbits, lol.

                                                                        We have made some progress with her, I was getting tired of her flying and perching(and pooping) everywhere during her out of cage time, so while I already had an exterior perch set up with a play area, there wasn’t really that much incentive for her to be there and she doesn’t really seem to have a great deal of interest in playing. So the past few days I’ve made much more of an effort to put some enticing toys (with hidden food) in the area for her to explore and play with. So far it’s been working well because she’s spending more time in that area and exploring new toys etc. I’ve also restricted the clicker training to when she’s locked inside the cage, so that she can’t follow me for more treats after and bite me. It’s going well, but she’s a little bit too strong with her “touch” to the target.


                                                                      • MiNinoJack
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                                                                          She’s gorgeous!

                                                                          I’ve been following along with this thread and then I came across this story online yesterday and thought of your bird. This one is an African Grey, but I had no idea they were so smart!

                                                                          http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/midwest/ct-parrot-murder-witness-20160605-story.html

                                                                          This is about a parrot being a witness to his owner’s murder and he’s repeating the final moments – if anyone doesn’t want to hear about a very strange murder, don’t read the article!

                                                                          Do eclectus parrots speak?


                                                                        • Azerane
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                                                                            Yes, I have seen that article linked on multiple bird pages I’ve started following on facebook. Very interesting scenario for sure. Eclectus do talk and are well regarded as one of the best talkers following Amazons and African Greys, the females apparently have a very smooth voice, but so far no words from Dory. She makes all sorts of other noises, at the moment she’s big on very ear-piercing squeaks whenever we pay her attention.


                                                                          • MiNinoJack
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                                                                              So cute. My stepsister used to play a tape on repeat for her cockatiel (I think it was a cockatiel) – “Hello Peaches, Hello!” Over and over again every time she left the room. It learned to whistle in her singsong voice and repeat other sounds.


                                                                            • Azerane
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                                                                                Update time! I received a phone call from our rental agent today. Our landlord has agreed to let us keep Dory So that’s good. Which means that now I’ll have to do a bit more cage research just to make sure I’m not missing anything value-for-money wise. Though I think I’ve already decided what I’m going to get which meets my budget and standards. I’ll probably wait another week or two before ordering, and make sure I do another thorough check of all lost and found pages, just to make sure I haven’t overlooked the owner. And if not, I get a fun new cage-building and decorating project.

                                                                                Here’s the cage I’m looking at, if anyone’s interested. It’s almost double the space of what we have her in now, which is good. She loses a tiny bit of length, going down to 100cm wide from 110cm. But gains double the height. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/X-Large-178cm-Play-Top-Roof-Parrot-Aviary-Bird-Cage-Perch-Ladder-On-Wheels-A08-/321226607218?hash=item4aca990a72:g:gQEAAOSw7ThUf-BP

                                                                                It also means that I’ll finally be able to take her off from on top of my NIC condo which is getting bird pooped wedged between all the grids Once I’ve got her all set up, it will be time to pull the condo apart and soak the grids.

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                                                                            Forum THE LOUNGE Eclectus Parrots, anyone own one?