Adopting an Eclectus parrot is a huge commitment, for various reasons. You may think that you want one of these fantastic birds already, but have you seriously thought things through? Read the following information to determine whether you are truly ready for this huge commitment or not. 

The first thing that one must consider is the life span of the Eclectus parrot. These gorgeous birds live to be between the ages of thirty and fifty years old. That is a very long time, and you must be prepared to care for your bird for that length of time. If you are already older, you must have someone lined up to take over the care of the bird once you’ve passed away. This is vitally important. You don’t want your Eclectus parrot abandoned should you die before he does. Like marriage, this could be a lifelong commitment on your part.

You must also consider your own living situation. Will you possibly be moving during your bird’s life? If so, will your bird be able to go with you to a new rental home or apartment? Are you prepared to pay pet deposits? How much space do you have available for a bird in your home? Eclectus parrots do require a great deal of space. They need room for their cage, but they also need a little room to fly around inside of the home.

Furthermore, is the space that you have suitable? Are you able to keep the windows in the home closed, in order to prevent your Eclectus parrot from flying away ? or from keeping his natural predators (such as cats) from entering the home?

Consider the amount of time that you have available as well. Eclectus parrots require time outside of their cage daily. This is not only essential for proper exercise, but also for their overall well-being, as well as socialization. These are very social birds, and they do require time and attention from you. Since the bird will be out of his cage each day, are you prepared to potty train him, so that he doesn’t ruin an entire house full of furniture and carpet?

Also note that Eclectus parrots are seldom loyal to just one family member. Instead, they truly become a part of the family, and show interest in all members of the household ? and they expect care and attention from all members as well. Is your entire family on-board with adopting and caring for an Eclectus parrot?

Finally, consider the natural behavior of the Eclectus parrot. While the Eclectus is the quietest species, this doesn’t mean that he is dead silent. Furthermore, he will learn to talk, and he will want to talk often. Are you ready for the constant natural sounds that he will make? What about your other family members and neighbors who live close by?

Naturally, you must also consider the lifelong expense of these birds. He will need toys, food, a cage, and veterinarian care. The expenses can really add up fast ? especially if he gets sick. Can you afford these expenses?

If you have considered all of these factors, and you still feel like you are ready to adopt an Eclectus parrot, you are ready to start searching for a breeder ? and ultimately, the perfect Eclectus parrot for you.

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Once you’ve made the decision to adopt an Eclectus parrot, you need to find a breeder (or parrot rescue shelter where the personalities of all the iparrots are well known). You could purchase your Eclectus parrot at a pet store, but this is generally not advised. The healthiest and happiest birds come from private, experienced breeders. Here is a list of questions you should ask breeders. 

Do you breed your pairs year-round? If a breeder breeds their females back to back, this doesn’t produce the healthiest of chicks. Consider another breeder, as this one has little regard for the health of these beautiful birds.

How many years have you been breeding Eclectus parrots? Obviously, the more experience the breeder has, the better off you and the baby are.

Do you breed more than one species? The best breeders typically only breed one species, although there are a few good breeders that breed subspecies of Eclectus parrots as well. This gives you more choices when you select your chick.

Do you wean your chicks before you send them home with their new owners? This is an important question, and most good breeders will not allow babies to leave them until they are fully weaned.

Are your chicks hand fed? The chicks that are hand fed, or hand reared, make the best pets, because they are highly socialized.

Do you only sell the chicks that were bred and hatched at your aviary, or do you broker babies? You don’t generally want to work with someone who brokers these birds. You want your chick to come from the place where it was born and bred. This is referred to as a closed aviary.

Are your chicks hatched in an incubator, or in the nest? Typically, the best chicks are hatched in the nest, with their mother. Bonding is very important.

How long do your chicks remain with their parents after they have hatched? Ideally, they will spend ten days to two weeks with their parents before they are taken away for hand feeding. If you can find a breeder that leaves the chicks with their parents for three weeks, this is even better.

Will I be able to see the parent birds when I select my chick? Seeing the parents is always a good idea. If the breeder breeds and hatches their chicks at the same location, and they aren’t brokers, this shouldn’t be a problem.

How much time is spent with your chicks each day? You want a chick that has spent a great deal of time with humans each day. This will give you a more social chick.

You may have additional questions that you want to ask as well. Make a list of questions, and ask them on the phone, and follow up with a visit in person to inspect the aviary. Choosing the right breeder is the first step to adopting the right Eclectus parrot.

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Your Eclectus parrot may be able to talk, but he most likely won’t be able to indicate whether or not he feels well. Therefore, you need to know the signs of a healthy bird, so that you can recognize the signs of a bird that isn’t feeling well. 

A healthy Eclectus parrot is active, sociable, and alert. If your Eclectus parrot does not appear to be able to focus, or his eyes appear half closed, he probably isn’t feeling well. If he becomes aggressive to touch, he may be in pain. If he seems listless, this also indicates a problem, and you should contact your veterinarian immediately.

A healthy Eclectus parrot has a dry nose and big bright eyes. If your parrot develops a moist or runny nose, he probably needs the care of a veterinarian. His eyes should be big and bright, but not watery or runny.

A healthy Eclectus parrot eats and drinks well. Pay attention to your Eclectus parrot. He should have a very healthy appetite. It is wise to remember that an Eclectus parrot is prone to becoming overweight, simply because he enjoys eating. Therefore, if he isn’t eating, there is a problem.

A healthy Eclectus parrot has a clean and dry vent. The vent is located under the tail feathers. This area should be both clean and dry, and if it isn’t, this may be an indication of diarrhea, or another serious problem, and you need to consult a veterinarian.

A healthy Eclectus parrot grooms himself, and has smooth feathers. Overall, your parrot should have a smooth appearance. Grooming is very important to these birds, and if your Eclectus parrot appears to be disheveled, this is an indication of a problem. You may also notice that he is feather plucking, meaning that he is pulling his own feathers out. Even if the parrot is grooming himself, his feathers may not have a healthy look to them, and again, you should consult with a veterinarian.

A healthy Eclectus parrot has legs, feet, and a beak that are in good physical shape. You should check daily for dry and cracked feet, legs, and beaks. Also, make sure that you clip your bird’s nails regularly, as this makes life much easier for him and for you.

You should note that most health problems that an Eclectus parrot develops stems from a diet that isn’t sufficient. Often, a change in the diet to include all of the nutrients and minerals that the bird needs is all that is needed to correct the health problem.

This does not mean, however, that you shouldn’t take your Eclectus parrot to the veterinarian, for a proper diagnosis. If you fail to do this, you could be cutting the life of your beloved feathered friend short. Again, know what the signs of a healthy bird are, so that you can easily and quickly notice if there is a potential health problem.

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If you are planning to adopt an Eclectus parrot, you need to have an avian veterinarian lined up before you do so. An avian veterinarian is a veterinarian trained and experienced at caring for birds. Some avian vets specialize in certain birds, and others will care for all breeds.

Unfortunately, a veterinarian can refer to himself as an avian veterinarian, but that doesn’t mean that he is a certified avian veterinarian. Certification can only be obtained through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. Just four years ago, in 2004, there were only 102 certified avian veterinarians around the world. Certification requires six years of a large amount of avian practice, as well as a series of examinations.

This doesn’t mean that a non-certified veterinarian cannot care for your Eclectus parrot. You should, however, seek out a veterinarian who is in the process of becoming certified, if at all possible. Since there are so few veterinarians worldwide who have accomplished certification, instead, you should seek out a veterinarian who is a member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians. This organization has more than 3000 members worldwide, and these are veterinarians who are working towards certification. You can contact the AAV to get a listing of the members in your area. You can also ask your breeder for recommendations.

Once you have a list of veterinarians to choose from, you should set up a consultation appointment with each one. Most will charge you their regular office visit rate for this visit, but finding the right veterinarian makes the cost well worth the expense. You should ask these veterinarians the following questions:

How much experience do you have with Eclectus parrots?
How much avian experience do you have overall?
Do you have any birds as pets yourself?
How much do your services cost?
What are your regular hours? Do you have after hour emergency care?
How often do you recommend that I bring my bird in for a check up?
Are you a member of the AAV? Where did you receive your training?
Do you make house calls?

With the answers to these questions from each veterinarian that you contact, you should easily be able to make a choice. Write the questions down for each veterinarian, and write down his or her answers so that you can compare them later.

Just because one veterinarian stood out among the others in the initial consultation, you need to pay close attention during the first visit your Eclectus parrot has with the chosen vet. Do you approve of the way that he handles the bird? Does he show genuine interest and concern? Is he rushed? Are the atmosphere and/or the veterinarian causing the bird stress? The chances are that if you liked the veterinarian during the initial consultation, he will do fine with your new bird ? just make sure that you have a veterinarian lined up for your birds care.

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Building your own birdhouse can be fun. You can get exactly what you want and design it to your specifications. There are plenty of plans you can get to make this process work out for you. Look for birdhouse plans that offer you step by step instructions. Some are for beginners and others are for more advanced skill levels. Make sure you get the birdhouse plans that will be the best for you to work with.

Many home improvement stores offer books with birdhouse plans in them. You can flip though them to see what is offered. These books are often affordable and they have plenty of plans to choose from. If you will be making plenty of birdhouses for your own use or to sell this could be the best route to take. This will keep the cost of the plans low and give you plenty of variety to choose from as well.

You can also find birdhouse plans online. You can look at the various pictures and then choose what you want to make. In most instances you will get a download link to access the birdhouse plans as soon as you pay for it. This means you don’t have to wait for it to be mailed to you. Just save the plans to your computer and print out a copy to work from as well.

Making birdhouses may be a hobby you enjoy or a way for you to make money. You can easily sell them online or at craft shows. Having excellent plans to work from will ensure you have great looking birdhouses to sell. If you have creative ideas for birdhouses, you can sell your own plans to others as well. You will be surprised at how many people go online each day to search for birdhouse plans.

You won’t be disappointed with the wide selection of them offered either. Birdhouse plans are extremely affordable so you can buy them and use them over and over again. It is less expensive to make a birdhouse on your own than to buy one. You can also be very proud of your work and display it in your yard.

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If you ask Eclectus parrot owners if their birds are more special than other species, almost all of them will tell you that the Eclectus parrot is the most special bird in the world. In fact, this is the most popular choice of aviary pet in the entire world, and it isn’t any wonder.

First, these are incredibly beautiful birds, but this is not necessarily what sets them apart. They are, however, the most vibrantly colored of all parrots. But these birds are also highly social. They really like humans, and become true companions, while most other species never actually ‘warm up’ to human contact. Eclectus parrots, however, are really tuned into our moods and feelings, once they know and trust us. They actually develop a bond with their humans.

The Eclectus parrot has amazing talking abilities. In fact, it is believed that they have the clearest speech patterns, and that they are capable of learning the most varied vocabulary of all other talking birds. These birds say words, phrases, sing, and even make sound effects. These birds have been known to imitate running water, microwaves, doorbells, telephones, sneezing sounds, and even to sing opera. They can even laugh. This unique talking ability of the Eclectus parrot seems to give them more personality than other species. Furthermore, the males have masculine voices, and the females have feminine voices.

Eclectus parrots are also highly intelligent. They can easily be trained to follow commands, and they can even be potty trained, so to speak. The limitations as to what they can be trained to do or say is dependant on what their owners teach them, and how often they work with them.