Eclectus Parrots – Caring for Them

Caring for Eclectus Parrots can be a joy or a chore. What you and the parrot bring to it will determine how much joy and how much work are entailed.

Eclectus Parrot Description

Caring for Eclectus Parrots begin by knowing the difference between them. Eclectus Parrots manifest extreme sexual dimorphism. That is, the male and female are totally different from one another. Since this is usually not true of parrots, the two were long thought to belong to different parrot species. The male, sleek and streamlined, boasts bright, predominantly emerald green feathers, with a beak the color of candy corn. The stockier-bodied female is predominantly crimson red, with a jet-black beak.

Eclectus Parrot Native Land

Eclectus Parrots are native to the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, northeastern Australia, and the Maluku Islands. In Papua New Guinea, Eclectus Parrots are sometimes considered to be pests since they eat fruit from the trees. People of native tribes use their bright feathers as decorations.

Eclectus Parrot Cage

Caring for Eclectus Parrots demands that you provide it with good living quarters. Your Eclectus Parrot will need a large, strong cage. Purchase a cage that is between 48″ and 60″ high. Its floor space should be about 30″ x 30″. A cage of this size will allow your Eclectus Parrot to fly and climb around, and will accommodate the various food dishes, perches, and playthings it needs.

Your Eclectus Parrot‘s perches should be 1/2″ to 1″ of any shape to keep its feet healthy. It will also need toys such as bells, swings, and chew toys.

For your benefit, a pull-out tray for cleaning will make your work load lighter. Provide a cage-top or table-top playground for your Eclectus Parrot.

Eclectus Parrot Food

Caring for Eclectus Parrots becomes serious when it comes to food. It is important that your Eclectus Parrot always have nutritious food. The parrot will love seeds, but it needs more than that. Feed it 3 or 4 tablespoons of a pellet, fortified parrot food each day. Supplement this diet with bite-sized pieces of fresh fruits and vegetables. Eclectus Parrots enjoy apples, melon, oranges, broccoli, carrots, mustard greens, spinach, and sweet potatoes. Always put the fresh fruits and vegetables in a dish separate from dry food. If raw food remains after four hours, remove it so your parrot does not eat spoiled food.

In addition to food, your Eclectus Parrot will need access to clean, fresh water at all times. If you walk past the cage and the water is dirty remove it and replenish the supply immediately.

CAUTION: Avocado is poisonous to birds. Never feed it to your Eclectus Parrot.

Eclectus Parrot Cleanliness

Those who care for Eclectus Parrots need to keep them and their cages clean to protect them from disease. An Eclectus Parrot will appreciate a nice, lukewarm shower once a week to keep its feathers and skin clean. Provide a birdbath a couple of times each week, placing lukewarm water in a container where it can splash. It may enjoy using your shower, too, with a light, gentle spray. If your Eclectus Parrot rejects both, mist it with clean, lukewarm water from a clean spray bottle.