Eclectus parrots :

Eclectus parrots have a beauty about them that attracts many, with their unique feathers and curious gazes. Native to the South Pacific, the Eclectus parrots are one of the few parrots that are sexually dimorphic. Males are an emerald green color, and females are often bright red with shades of blue. Male and female Eclectus parrots were once thought to be separate species because of their color differences, which is integral to their mating behavior. There are four subspecies of Eclectus parrots in aviculture readily available in the United States: the red-sided Eclectus, the Vosmaeri Eclectus, the grand Eclectus and the Solomon Islands Eclectus parrots.

When well-socialized, an Eclectus parrot can develop a large vocabulary, rivaling the African grey parrot and Amazon parrot in its mimicking ability. Eclectus can also learn a variety of tricks.

An Eclectus parrot is sensitive to vitamin-A deficiency and needs more fiber in its diet than other parrots. Jane and Scott of PrettyParrot.com, who have bred Eclectus for more than 20 years, said, "Eclectus have a longer intestinal tract than most birds, having spent thousands of years evolving their digestive system in an environment rich with fresh vegetation." They need a diet that has plenty of fiber, so an Electus parrot should be given seed only in moderation.

"Eclectus do best if their seed has been sprouted," Jane said. "If fed the proper diet, Eclectus drink very little extra water. Eclectus should get most of their moisture in their diet from fresh vegetation."

Depending on the subspecies, an Eclectus can become sexually mature anywhere from 2 1/2 years old to 5 years old. "The [Solomon Islands Eclectus] start exhibiting breeding behavior at a younger age," said Jane. "Typically the female can start laying eggs between 2 1/2 to 3 years old. The larger Eclectus can be in between 4 1/2 to 5 years old before they become sexually mature."

To discourage nesting behavior, Jane recommends not supplying the female Eclectus with a nest box and discouraging her from trying to make a nest under a couch or in other small spaces. If a female Eclectus does nest and lay an egg, Jane said they can obsess about tending to it and neglect their own health. "Take the egg away,” she said, “and she'll forget about it immediately."

Breathtakingly gorgeous and captivating, an Eclectus parrot is a delightful pet.

Listen to what a wild Eclectus sounds like!

Eclectus Parrot

Family: Psittacidae

courtesy to : www.animal-world . com

Eclectus are real show stoppers with their beautiful, vibrant coloring!

The lovely Eclectus parrots Eclectus roratus are attractive and intelligent birds. They are some of the most brilliantly colored of all the parrot species, and they are also some of the most sexually dimorphic. Eclectus that are well socialized when young make very affectionate pet birds and enjoy human attention. They are one of the better talkers and delight in making various sounds heard around the home, such as the microwave or the telephone.

Eclectus Parrots have a laid back personality that their humans adore. They are quite content to sit on a perch for hours at a time playing with their toys. They do not like commotion and they do not react well to it. They are calm birds in captivity, but will display a pensive nature when faced with new things or situations. They do not adapt easily to new situations or environments so its' human must be patient and adjust to having a somewhat shy, three year old child-type companion. They can be very territorial of their cage area. So should be removed and placed on a perch for extensive time periods, at regular intervals and preferably daily.

The Eclectus personality has been misunderstood. Many have said this species is boring, dull, lethargic and even stupid. This is not the case. The Eclectus exhibiting these behaviors is showing its reaction to stress. The Eclectus is an intelligent bird and when taught properly, they are capable of cognitive behavior from a very young age.

To learn more about parrot care, see:
Bird Care: How to Take Care of a Pet Bird

The Eclectus is not a demanding bird and is relatively easy to care for; however, they prefer a daily routine. They are slow to adjust or adapt to new things. If you are providing your Eclectus with a new toy, for example, introduce it to him outside the cage. Then let him see it outside the cage for several days before you hang it in the cage. They love new toys but they will stress at a rapid change in their environment.

Homes with children, plenty of company, and lots of play and activity is not the best home for an Eclectus. But they do make a good pet for someone who lives alone, rarely has company, and where the environment and daily routine does not change. These parrots can also be rather noisy and are best suited to environments where their loud calls are not a bother.

Female Eclectus are the dominant gender. Consequently females tend to be louder and more moody than the males. When a female reaches breeding age, she may become more aggressive. She may also become occupied with checking out nooks and crannies around the house or aviary, looking for potential nesting spots.

Scientific name :

Eclectus roratus

Distribution :

The Eclectus parrots are found in the northern parts of Australia, New Guinea, Soloman Island, Maluki Islands, and other outlying Pacific islands of eastern Indonesia. There is only one living species in the Eclectus genus, Eclectus roratus However there have been fossil records discovered found on the islands of Tonga and Vanuatu of a similar species, though with smaller wings, Oceanic Eclectus Parrot Eclectus infectus, which is now extinct.

The Eclectus parrot has evolved into at least 10 subspecies, four of which are available in the pet market. Currently six subspecies are described. Experts have not yet determined it some of the others are true subspecies or possible hybrids. Differences in the subspecies are specific to the location they came from in the Pacific Islands and include size, head coloration, and brightness of plumage.

The females in each subspecies appear quite similar, but the males vary widely in their markings. When they were first brought to the United States, many did not see differences in the coloring between the subspecies and so the Eclectus parrot was hybridized while bred in captivity, which has led to variations in coloring.

The four Eclectus subspecies most commonly seen in captivity and available in the pet market are the Grand, the Vosmaeri, the Solomon Island and the Red-sided:

Subspecies: Eclectus roratus roratus, known as the Grand Eclectus
Subspecies: Eclectus roratus vosmaeri, known as the Vosmaeri's Eclectus or Vos Eclectus
Subspecies: Eclectus roratus solomonensis, known as the Solomon Island Eclectus Parrot
Subspecies: Eclectus roratus polychloros, known as the Red-sided Eclectus

The Eclectus are quite plentiful in many of their native areas, and in some places are even considered pests. Yet because of the remote locations some of these birds inhabit, the number of subspecies is undetermined. As with the feathers of many fancy birds, the bright feathers of the Eclectus are used by natives for decoration.

Status :

The Eclectus roratus is on the IUCN Red List for Endangered Species as Least Concern (LC).

Description :

The Eclectus parrot Eclectus roratus was first described by Muller in 1776. They are vividly colored birds with tight interlocking hair like feathers which produce a sleek glossy plumage that actually looks like silk. They are a large stocky parrot, being 14 to 15 inches in length (35 cm), and have a short square tail and long round tipped wings. Differences in the subspecies are specific to the location they came from in the Pacific Islands and include size, head coloration, and brightness of plumage.

What is most striking about the Eclectus is the vivid difference in coloring between the male and female. The Eclectus Parrot is the most sexually dimorphic of all the parrot species. The male is a bright green and the female is a bright red.

Male Eclectus The male Eclectus is brilliant green on top, has yellowish-green wing coverts, and has red patches on the breast and under the wings. The tail feathers are almost black with yellow tips. The upper beak is a a coral yellow with a yellowish tip and the lower mandible is black. The iris is a dark orange.
Female Eclectus The female Eclectus has a rich red on the head and breast while the back and wing feathers tend to a darker red. The belly and the nape of the neck are a dull purple to a blue and the tail is tipped with orange. Their beak is black. The iris of the female is a yellow color and they have a blue ring around the eye. (All young Eclectus have brown irises.).

Care and feeding:

In the wild the Eclectus parrots eats seeds, nuts, berries, fruits, leaf buds, blossoms, and nectar. In your home, fresh food and water must be provided daily. Foods for your pet bird will include a ready made large hookbill seed mix enriched with vitamins. Eclectus must also have their diet supplemented with all sorts of fruits and vegetables.

Fresh fruits and vegetables you can offer include green peas, cucumber, young dandelion greens, sweet corn, beet greens, carrots, broccoli, unsprayed lettuce, chickweed, dandelions, eggplant, green peppers, sorrel, spinach leaves, tomatoes and zucchini. Fruits that you can offer include, apples, peaches, apricots, bananas, pears, plums, raisons, and most other fruits. Avocado and chocolate are considered toxic for birds and sugar and salt should be avoided.

To keep the Eclectus healthy, the fruits and green foods are essential. Dry seed is notably deficient in Vitamin A, which is why they need additions to a seed based diet. Their digestive tract is adapted to a fibrous diet, which is provided by the fruits and vegetables. If deprived of a fibrous diet, they may develop Candidiasis. (see ailments below). Eclectus are also prone to becoming fat, another reason why they should be encouraged to eat more vegetables and less oily seed. A cuttle bone or a calcium block is a good source of calcium.

Most parrots enjoy and occasional shower or bath. A shower can be accomplished with either a hand held shower sprayer or a hose with a fine spray head and lukewarm water. A bath pan or ceramic dish 12"-14" (30-35 cm) can be placed on the bottom of the cage or mounted at about 39" (1m) above the floor in an aviary. The wings should be kept trim if you want to discourage flight and to prevent the loss of your pet through an open window or door. The beak and claws need to be trimmed if they are not worn down from climbing and chewing.

Housing :

A cage best suited to adequately house an Eclectus parrot would be between 4 feet to 6 feet (100-150 cm) high and have a floor space of 2 feet by 3 feet (60 x 100 cm). This size will provide room for lots of movement as well as space for perches, food dishes and a variety of playthings. A room to adequately house 2 Eclectus needs a ceiling height of at least 6 feet (180 cm) and a minimum floor space of 3 feet by 5 feet (100 x 150 cm). Perches should be natural wood ranging in size from 2 – 4 inches in diameter. Various sized fruit tree branches work very well. Playthings can be such things as climbing ropes, chains, bells, parrot swings and wooden or other bird toys.

An outdoor or breeding aviary needs to have a protected shelter that can be heated and cooled if necessary. It should be no smaller than 4 feet by 6 feet with a floor space of at least 3 feet by 3 feet (1 m x 1 m), be off the ground by 4 feet, and have an attached flight cage. The flight should be 79" - 118" (2 - 3 m) long with a perch at each end. A climbing branch and a bird bath are nice additions too.

Maintenance :

The basic cage care includes daily cleaning of the water and food dishes. Weekly you should wash all the perches and dirty toys, and the floor should be washed about every other week. A total hosing down and disinfecting of an aviary should be done yearly, replacing anything that needs to be freshened, such as old dishes, toys and perches.

Social Behaviors:

Eclectus parrots are tamed easily and are very sociable. Some humans feel the male is the more talented, with more talking ability and easier to tame. Females, in the wild are the more aggressive of the two. However, both sexes can become affectionate pets and enjoy human handling.

Handling/Training :

You should give a new arrival a few days to get use to you, your voice and its cage before trying to handle it. The Eclectus is a shy creature and they need a period of adjustment. A hand fed baby will not need much taming and can often be handled right away, but be patient and go slow. Allow them to hear your voice, get the scent of you.

Remember that taming and training a bird takes patience, never 'punish' your pet! This only serves to destroy the trust you've spent so much time building. For more information on training your eclectus, see Parrots: Handling/Training.

Activities:

Exercise and play are important activities for the physical well being and psychological health of your parrot. These activities help deter distress and prevent the problems of screeching and feather picking. Provide your parrot with lots of activities in the form of large link chains, bird ladders, parrot swings, ropes, fresh branches for gnawing and chewing, and rotate new bird toys on a regular basis.

Sexing - Sexual Differences :

Sexing Eclectus parrots is simple. The adults and even the chicks are dimorphic, meaning the males are mainly green and the females are red and blue. The biggest challenge is mating members of the same subspecies. There are four subspecies of Eclectus available and they can be difficult to distinguish between. If you are a beginner looking to breed, you should seek the aid of an experienced breeder to help you choose birds of the same subspecies.

Breeding/Reproduction :

The Eclectus has an unusual and complex breeding culture in his habitat, resulting in communal breeding where uncles and aunts help rear young in a group family situation. This sharing and caring feature of the Eclectus personality carries over into its human home and it is what makes them a good pet.

Eclectus parrots are polygamous by nature. The females may mate with multiple male suitors and males may travel from nesting site to nesting site to mate with multiple females. This unique breeding strategy may explain the pronounced sexual dimorphism of the Eclectus. Perhaps the female is a vivid red as she stays in her nest for up to 11 months out of the year and her coloring enables the males to locate her. She rarely leaves her nest and is totally dependent on the males to feed her throughout the year. The males being primarily green blend in with the green of the forest as they travel from nest to nest in hopes that one of the females may select him as a mate.

Suitable hollows are at a premium in their native habitat and the female will vigorously defend her nesting site perhaps even fighting to the death. This protection of her territory is what carries over to her protection of her cage within her human's home.

Bonded pairs will readily nest, which makes the Eclectus a fairly easy bird to breed. While most large parrots will usually only lay (and rear) one clutch of eggs in an outdoor aviary, the Eclectus are "free-breeders" and may nest several times during a breeding season.

In the wild, they are seen nesting in groups with each pair making their nest very high up, in the hole of a tree. Eclectus will need a nest box mounted as high up as possible. It should be at least is 31"-39" (80-100 cm) high with an inside diameter of 12"-14" (30-35 cm) and an opening of 4"-5" (10-12 cm). Provide some bedding material inside on the bottom of the box. In the wild their nests have been observed to have the eggs laid on wood chips.

An Eclectus female will usually lay 2 eggs. The female will brood for 26 to 28 days while the male brings her food. The hatchlings will leave the nest at about twelve weeks.

Beware of over breeding. Free-breeders are prone to having a calcium deficiency. This can result in complications of soft-shelled eggs and egg binding. Provide plenty of calcium. Cuttlebone is an excellent choice not only for the female but also for the chicks, as they are prone to rickets. Be sure to remove the nest box after the brooding until you are ready for them to nest again.

Potential Problems :

An eclectus parrot that is well cared for will seldom become ill. Though it is often difficult to determine illness, some visible signs of illness to be aware of are:

ruffled plumage
listlessness
drooping wings
sagging body
extreme mood changes
having no appetite
bulges in feathering
partially closed or watery eyes
swelling of the eyelids
rasping
difficulty breathing
excessive saliva
dirty vent
any change in the feces not apparently diet related.

Some of the more common illnesses are:

Psittacosis (chlamydiosis or parrot fever)
bacterial, viral, or fungal infections
feather picking (results of boredom, poor diet, sexual frustration, lack of bathing)
allergies
chewing flight and tail feathers by juveniles
beak malformations in chicks
Papillomas
kidney disease (gout)
toxicity
heavy metal poisoning
lipomas in older birds.

If you notice any of this bird illnesses in your Eclectus, immediately provide a warm, draft free, secure environment kept at about 86°F (30°C). Place food and water close to the perch where it is easily accessible. An ailing parrot should be taken to a avian veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.

The fungal disease, Candidiasisis is associated Indonesian parrots including the Eclectus parrot, because these birds need a relatively high amount of Vitamin A. Candidiasis is apparent in the mouth. The bird will play with its food rather than eating it, and you may notice a sticky whitish discharge from the beak. Inside the mouth will be whitish patches of Candida fungus. Your vet can give you medication for this, but you will also need to improve the birds diet.

Behavior problems usually stem from something missing in the bird's environment. Boredom, lack of trust, lack of interaction with other birds or people can lead to problems like biting, feather plucking, and screaming. Try to develop a bond of trust and spend time with your bird to help avoid these problems.

We have also had good success with Chet Womach's Parrot Training Course. He offers a free 3-day introductory course so you can try it out before you buy anything.

Availability

Eclectus parrots have been successfully bred and are readily available, though they are moderately expensive.

References

Animal-World References: Pet Birds - Exotic Birds
Batul Nafisa Baxamusa, Eclectus Parrots as Pets, Buzzle.com
Eclectus Parrot, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Eclectus Parrots, Avian Web
Dr. David Alderton, The Atlas of Parrots of the World, T.F.H. Publications, Inc. 1991.
Rosemary Lowe, The Complete Book of Parrots, Barron's Educational Series, Inc. 1989.
Arthur Freud, All About The Parrots, Howell Book House, 1986.

We recommend this special site :

www.parrotparrot.com

www.eclectusbook.com/

www.eclectusparrots.net/

www.eclectusparrot.com/

Eclectus Parrot Sings

Eclectus Parrot Talking

Care for Eclectus Parrots

Eclectus Parrots :

courtesy to :www.beautyofbirds.com/eclectus

The Eclectus Parrot (Eclectus roratus) is native to theSolomon Islands, New Guinea, northeastern Australiaand the Maluku Islands (Moluccas).

Alternate (Global) Names:

Czech: Papoušek ruznobarvý, papoušek různobarvý ... Danish: Ædelpapegøje
German: Edelpapagei, Edelpapagei ... Spanish:Loro Ecléctico ... Estonian: Erispapagoi ...Finnish: Avoparikaija ... French: Éclectus ...Indonesian: Nuri Bayan, Payap ... Italian: Ecletto, Pappagallo eclettico ... Dutch: Edelpapegaai ...Norwegian: Edelpapegøye ... Palauan:Lakkotsiang ... Polish: Barwnica, Papuga wielka ... Swedish: Ädelpapegoja ... Russian:Благородный зелёно-красный попугай ... Slovak: ladniak krátkochvostý ... Japanese:Oohanainko, オオハナインコ ... Chinese: 折衷鸚鵡, 红胁绿鹦鹉

Eclectus Species (including the species most commonly kept in captivity)

Description :

Their extreme sexual dimorphism (visual physical differences between the sexes) is very unusual in the parrot family. Indeed Joseph Forshaw, in his bookParrots of the World, noted that the first European ornithologists to see Eclectus parrots thought that they were of two distinct species.

The males are bright green, with bright candy corn-colored beaks and blue or red tail and wing feathers.The average weight of the adult male Eclectus is 430 grams with a range of 388 to 524.Juveniles males have dark brown or black irises rather than the yellow-gold / golden-orange color of the adult male. The upper mandible of a young male has a brown base and yellow tip. (Please refer to the images below.)

The females are red headed and blue-breasted, with black beaks.The adult female Eclectus is 452 grams with a range of 375-550 grams.The weight information is based on an average of the four commonly available Eclectus subspecies - theSolomon Island, Grand, Red-sided, and Vosmaeri Eclectus.

Other Relevant Web Resources

Overview:

The following overview and chart have been provided by Avianweb Contributor Dr. Rob Marshall - the author of A Guide to Eclectus Parrots as Pet and Aviary Birds

The Eclectus Parrot is the most sexually dimorphic of all the parrot species. The contrast between the brilliant emerald green plumage of the cock and the deep red/purple plumage of the hen is so marked that the two birds were, until the early 20th century, considered to be different species. The birds inhabit the nutrient rich canopy of lowland rainforests and remarkably, amongst the shadows, the hen is very difficult to see despite her brilliant colours. From below, the claret and violet colours of the hen high up in the canopy appear black against the bright sky, and of course the green of the cock blends splendidly with the colours of the rainforest.

Their presence is usually noted by their calls rather than by their brilliant but well-camouflaged colors.

The Eclectus as Pet :

Eclectus are remarkable birds and ideally suited as a pet. When taught properly, they are capable of cognitive behaviour from a very young age.

The ability of the Eclectus to communicate with humans is a result of their extremely inquisitive nature, a feature strongly linked to their life in the rainforest canopy. This habitat is a rich environment requiring a heightened visual and audible intellect to master.

The Eclectus has developed a complex breeding culture in this crowded vegetative habitat, resulting in communal breeding where uncles and aunties help rear young in a creche-like situation. This sharing and caring feature of the Eclectus makes them naturally the perfect pet.

When treated in a similarly caring and intelligent way they will quickly learn to communicate cognitively. Eclectus also prefer a calm environment and have a strong ability to notice changes within their normal surroundings.

These highly intelligent birds are very animated and love to participate in daily activities and in doing so, will quickly become acquainted with a daily routine. Eclectus can be kept with other parrot species although it is extremely important that any new bird is introduced in the correct fashion. This involves providing one on one attention with the original bird and as much as possible, maintaining its normal daily routine.

Regular and consistent training form an integral part of the Eclectus development and with the correct love and attention, this highly intelligent bird makes an excellent pet.

Although the Eclectus is a beautiful bird both physically and temperamentally, its personality in the past has been misunderstood. This species has been characterised as boring, dull, lethargic, shy and even stupid. What the casual observer is seeing, however, is the Eclectus Parrot's reaction to stress. When confronted with unfamiliar situations or strangers they freeze and wait. In familiar surroundings and with people they know they are garrulous, highly animated, curious, affectionate and playful.

All Eclectus subspecies share similar behaviours and personalities but with slight differences, for example Solomon Island and New Guinea Eclectus are more docile than the large domineering Australian Eclectus, and when hand reared are considered to make the best pets. Although the personality of hens is different from cock Eclectus, it is questionable whether hens or cocks make better pets.

The hen is more aggressive than the cock. When nesting, hand-reared hens tend to be even more aggressive than aviary-bred hens. Both make equally good pets but hens are more likely to develop hormonally related behavioural.

Eclectus have a wide and most unusual range of sounds, including soft bell or gong tones, coos, whistles, comic konks and squeals. Most are very pleasant to the ear. However, they also have the ability to scream or indulge in raucous screeching when frightened, disturbed or excited. Eclectus Parrots also voice words and phrases very clearly.

Females kept as pets may lay eggs even without a compatible male partner (a male Eclectus parrot). Most will reach reproductive maturity when they are about two to five years old; although the smaller Solomon Island subspecies may be able to reproduce at an age of eighteen months. The average clutch may consist of 2 eggs; on occasion 3 or, rarely, 4 eggs may be laid. Of course, without a male, the eggs will be infertile. It is important to allow the female to complete the laying and incubation of the eggs. Removing the eggs will result in the female replacing them, which can lead to serious malnutrition. If hormonal behavior in a broody female is becoming a problem (as it often does), there are ways to discourage nesting behavior in pet birds.

Avianweb / Sibylle Faye's Comments:

When I think of Eclectus, what comes to mind is: beauty and serenity.

They do make great pets in the right household -- as they are less noisy and destructive than other larger parrots (although they can scream quite loudly when they get spooked, scared or excited). They learn to talk as well -- always sounding like "little girls" -- with pretty clear voices, too. They are less demanding than cockatoos for sure, but they are not exactly known "for learning tricks". However, they do have an endearing, clowny personality.

I found the male eclectus to be quite sensitive, who easily starts plucking himself when under stress -- once the stress is eliminated, and provided the habit hasn't been established yet, he will stop plucking. The challenge is to identify the stress factor. It could be as easy as relocating the cage, or as complex as keeping him separate from another pet.

My experience was that the female eclectus seems to be able to cope with busy / noisy households better than the males. The sensitive male eclectus oftentimes is better suited for a quiet home (maybe without kids?). Although neither the male or female are cut out to be part of busy / stressful households -- in my opinion. Personalities do vary -- as they are influenced by genetics and the amount and type of attention he or she got while being raised.

The male is less aggressive than the female, more gentle in nature; which means the female is more apt to bite and may make the male a better pet for people who prefer gentle natured animals.

The eclectus parrots don't produce any feather dust, as they have oil glands rather than dust gland for preenings - which is good news for people who are allergic to feather dust.

Eclectus are very intelligent and focus their eyes on their owner to closely observe every movement. They show interest in everything going on around them, and love to explore.

The average lifespan of an eclectus is 30 years; but they should be able to live 50 to 75 years -- as is the case with comparably-sized parrots.

It is generally difficult to guess the age of parrots. However, the immature coloration is usually different from the adult plumage. For example, young eclectus males have black beaks; as he reaches maturity, most all of the black will disappear and his beak will be candy-corn colored . The easiest method to see if we have an adult or immature female are the eyes. The eyes of a immature female look shiny black and the pupils are not easily visible; whereas the adult eyes show defined pupils.

In the United States, they cost between $600 and $2,000 - depending on source, location, and availability.

Care and Feeding:

In captivity, Eclectus Parrots do well in large or suspended aviaries having at least three and a half meters of length and one meter of width. They will need to be sheltered from the elements and are generally kept in pairs.

If kept indoors as a pet, Eclectuses love to climb and play and need to be provided with a roomycage that allows them to move around freely. Plenty of out-of-cage time and interaction with the human family is necessary. To keep this intelligent parrot in a cage the entire day would without a doubt lead to severe behavioral and psychological problems. Toys will help them entertain themselves at those times when your parrot is alone.

Eclectus Parrots are prone to stress-inducedfeather plucking. Stress may be caused by a dominant mate or by changes in husbandry practices. Nutritional deficiencies, boredom, or cold temperatures may also cause feather plucking. Branches and chew toys may divert yoru parrot from feather destruction.

Eclectus parrots typically enter "puberty" when they are about 18 months to a year old. They will try to 'feed' objects of their affection, which could be their owner's hand or a favorite toy. It is

generally recommended not to reinforce this behavior as they can get quite aggressive in their quest to protect their "nesting territory" as well as chosen "mate." The general recommendation is to distract them with toys or activities. Managing Hormonal Behavior in Birds

Toe Tapping / Wing Flipping:

Some eclectus owners observe their pets in an activity that is referred to as "toe-tapping" - - a condition where the toes repetitively extend and contract. This may occur alone or in combination with wing flipping and /or feather plucking.

Possible Causes:

- Ingestions of foreign objects (i.e., toyparts, etc.). One web visitor had his eclectus x-rayed and it was diagnosed that the eclectus had ingested non-toxic toy beads. After these beads had been removed, the condition resolved itself.

- Others have observed that fortified food items, such as bird treats, fortified seed mixes and even pasta also caused it. As soon as these foods were no longer fed, the toe-tapping stopped. If your pet loves pasta, try switching it for organic corn pasta, which does not appear to cause the same problem.

- Pellets: Most pellets contain chemicals, such as artificial coloring / flavoring / preservatives, etc. Parrots may be able to tolerate these for a year or two, but once these chemicals build up in the system to a certain degree, symptoms such as feather plucking, aggression, toe tapping and wing flipping may appear. When feeding pellets to your pet, please be also aware that overly feeding citrus fruits (including oranges) to your birds can lead to "Iron Overload Disease ."

-Too much dietary calcium or other nutrients can also cause toe tapping.

Remove any food items or liquid that had been added to your pet's diet shortly before the symptoms appeared.
Feed only organically grown food items, limit to two or three foods daily.
- Information on organic foods -- a listing of the most and the least contaminated food items, as well as handling tips.
Use distilled water.
Remove any source of chemicals in your pet's environment. such as chemical cleaners or air fresheners.

Course of Action:

Remove any food items or liquid that had been added to your pet's diet shortly before the symptoms appeared.
Feed only organically grown food items, limit to two or three foods daily.
- Information on organic foods -- a listing of the most and the least contaminated food items, as well as handling tips.
Use distilled water.
Remove any source of chemicals in your pet's environment. such as chemical cleaners or air fresheners.

Add Aloe Detox to the diet. It is not a medication but rather a concentrate of aloe vera and herbs that helps to detoxify the system, if chemicals have caused the symptoms. The manufacturer reports that Aloe Detox needs to be refrigerated (obviously). After opening, it will keep for 7 to 9 months. One recommended brand is "Lily of the Desert Aloe Detoxifying Formula." It is available online or at better health food stores, such as Whole Foods. Alternatively, growing your own Aloe Vera plant and detoxifying herbs and feeding them fresh and unprocessed is preferable.Aloe Vera plants (benefits, growing and harvesting).
Additional Calcium: I also would provide extra calcium in the diet for the next few days in the form of crushed, baked egg shells sprinkled over a moist food or a calcium magnesium supplement from a health food store.
Reduce Stress: Provide ample opportunity for exercise and rest and try to reduce any stress that might affect the bird.
Make an appointment with the vet.

Training and Behavioral Guidance:

Eclectus parrots are amongst the most intelligent parrot species. They are also great talkers.

If not properly trained, they can present multiple challenges to their owners, such as excessive chewing - especially at certain stages in their life. They do discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage" and they can generally be somewhat naughty, and it really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established.

Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation. Eclectuses that are not provided sufficient mental and physical stimulations may turn into a feather plucker.

Overall, it is important to guide parrot behavior:

Excessive Chewing: Any parrot will chew. In nature, they use their beak to "customize" their favorite tree, to enlarge the size of their nest in a tree hollow. Doing this keeps their beaks in good condition. The problem is excessive and undesirable chewing. The owner needs to provide plenty of "healthy" chewing opportunities (bird toys, natural wood branches, etc.) and training is necessary to teach an eclectus what is "off-limits."

Biting: Eclectuses, as most parrots, are likely to discover their beaks as a method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage." In this species, the female tends to be more aggressive than the males. The males are usually more sensitive though -- they generally don't do well in noisy households. This is something to keep in mind. It really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. If aggressive behavior is unchecked, the female eclectus is likely to be dominating the entire family, chasing and attacking their least favorite humans (usually the ones they deem to be a competitor for their human mate's affection). Training is vital to stop this destructive behavior.

Screaming: Eclectuses are not the noisiest parrot species. They are generally quiet; however, when they call, it can most certainly be heard. In fact, their calls can be quite deafening. Not everybody can tolerate that sound. They may "voice" when they are startled, or to greed you when you come home. In noisy households, they may scream, just to be part of the crowd.