The Active Eclectus Parrot
Eclectus parrots are intelligent and playful friends
Eclectus Parrots (female and male)
The Eclectus parrot is an intelligent and active pet bird. They are also one of the more unusual members of the parrot family.
The first thing you will notice is that they are very sexually dimorphic. The male and female Eclectus are so different looking that they were originally thought to be two different species.
The male Eclectus are bright green with a yellow-orange beak while the female Eclectus are red and purple with a black beak. As soon as their feathers come in, you can tell whether the bird is male or female.
Their feathers also appear to be more hair-like rather than feather-like and they require more vitamin A and calcium in their diet than most other parrots. The specialized diet alone means they do require more experienced owners. They also don’t form strong bonds like other parrots, but this in no way means that they don’t make good pets.
Eclectus are only a little cuddly, but they are great companions and love to sit on a perch near you or on your hand. They are not great talkers, but they can learn a few words and phrases and even whole songs. What they love is imitating sounds–like a telephone, alarm, or microwave.
Eclectus Parrot Species
There are a few different Eclectus subspecies that are available for pets:
- Red-Sided Eclectus (E. roratus polychloros) – This subspecies is more outgoing and boisterous and has a great sense of humor.
- Solomon Island Eclectus (E. roratus solomonensis) – This is the most common and tend to make the best family pets.
- Vosmaer’s Eclectus (E. roratus vosmaeri) – This subspecies is believed to be the most quiet and gentle of the Eclectus.
Fast Facts
| Name | Eclectus (Eclectus roratus) |
| Origin | Indonesia, New Guinea, northern Australia |
| Size | 14″ (35 cm) and 370-525 grams (13-19 oz) |
| Color Differences | Male Eclectus are bright green with a yellow-orange beak while the female Eclectus are red and purple with a black beak. |
| Average Cost | $600-1200 |
| Lifespan | 30-50 years |
| Noise | Eclectus parrots can be loud, though they are not known to be screamers. They are best fit in a house. |
| Qualities | Some subpecies qualities are different from others (see above), don’t form strong bonds like other parrots do, good with children that know how to respect a bird, not good for a house with a lot of commotion, outgoing, curious, a little cuddly, love to perch near you and sit on your hand, entertaining, loving, intelligent, can be shy and standoffish, playful, very active, prone to feather plucking, sensitive to noise, males tend to be mellow and shy while females tend to be outgoing and a bit moody, most go through a nippy stage. |
| Abilities | Good – Capable of talking, can learn whole songs, love to imitate sounds, not great training ability. |
| Interaction/Time Requirements | Eclectus parrots need interaction on a daily basis |
| Diet | They need a diet for large birds and need more vitamin A and calcium than most other parrots do. Make sure not to feed them too many foods heavy in iron–Eclectus have problems with iron storage. |
| Supplies Needed | They need supplies for large birds. |
Eclectus Videos
“Riley the Amazing Talking Parrot – Best Bits”
Eclectus parrots can also be very good talkers. This video is a great example of how large of a vocabulary they can have!
“Eclectus parrot singing and talking”
This is a great video of another Eclectus singing and talking. They can be so talented!
“Talkative Eclectus”
This is a sweet video of a talking female Eclectus. They can talk well too!
Eclectus Training
Eclectus parrots can become very sensitive birds, so it is important to train them correctly right from the beginning. Eclectus parrots can be fantastic companions. They are caring, loving, and they can become very attached. However, if not properly trained, they can be very nervous and may never want to leave their cage.
For this reason, we highly recommend that you find an effective training program for your Eclectus. Whether your parrot is new to your home or you’ve had him for years, a training program will always come in handy. We personally recommend the Bird Tricks Parrot Training Course by Dave and Jamieleigh Womach. You can see many of their videos for free to get an idea of how much they know about parrots and how they can help you train yours.
Below is one of Dave’s videos about training an Eclectus who hates men and kids. This video is a great example of how effective the training courses can be and how they are filled with a wealth of useful information for any bird owner.
This video is only the first step in getting your Eclected fully tamed. We highly recommend checking out the BirdTricks Training Course for taming your parrot even further.
For more information about Dave and Jamieleigh’s courses, you can visit the Bird Tricks website HERE.
Eclectus Education
To learn more about your pet Eclectus, we recommend these books:
| Image | Title | Price | Prime | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Eclectus Parrots as Pets | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Eclectus Parrots (Complete Pet Owner's Manual) | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | The Eclectus Parrot: The Complete Guide | Prime | Add to Cart | |
 | Owning an Eclectus Parrot | Prime | Add to Cart |
Eclectus Gifts
Have a friend of family member who loves Eclectus parrots? Gift them something that will truly spark joy!
| Image | Title | Price | Prime | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Eclectus Parrot Mug, 11oz | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Anatomy of an Eclectus Throw Pillow Cover | Prime | Add to Cart | |
 | Eclectus Parrot Necklace | Prime | Add to Cart | |
 | Just A Girl Who Loves Eclectus Parrot Notebook | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Male Eclectus Throw Pillow Cover | Prime | Add to Cart | |
 | Eclectus Parrots Hoodie | Prime | Add to Cart |
Related Articles:
- The Essential Eclectus Supplies Checklist
- The 3 Must-Have Perches
- The Best Food For Your Eclectus
- Find The Best Eclectus Cage
- Toys Your Eclectus Will Love
Have A Great Story About Your Eclectus?
Share your experience with others! There’s no better way to learn about a pet bird than from an owner.
Some helpful information for potential owners can be: What is the sex of your bird? Is he/she friendly? Loving? Cuddly? Talented? Messy? Loud? You get the idea!
Your comment may just help someone decide whether or not this pet bird is for them.
Yes to the Eclectus!
She’s beginning to molt! Her colors become much more vibrant with her new feathers!
A good friend of mine has a female named Delilah that I am adopting today and I am so excited! While they are big birds, I would say that they are the smallest of the large parrot category.
I’ve played with Delilah for a couple of months now and she already takes to me more than her original owners! Delilah is VERY cuddly and connects with specific people. Never leaves my shoulder unless I entice her with a treat, and if I am not in the same room for a moment, she will come find me. Delilah shows affection and plays by nibbling on you. It is very light and gentle nibbling.
She gets a huge kick out of mimicking sounds that she hears often such as phones ringing and even words spoken in regular conversations. She will hilariously mock you if you try to make her do something that she doesn’t want to, such as get off of you’re shoulder. And she WILL sing entire songs all by herself. She also will NOT expel her uric acid unless she is in her cage. I can’t speak for every Eclectus but this took no training for my friend.
The info above states that they are “outgoing,” that is an understatement. Delilah is very curious! She will hop on the ground whenever she pleases and walk around the house examining random things. She will usually grab a chip bag and drag it along with her for no reason that I can find. She will dance to music, even when she doesn’t know that you are watching!
While Delilah is super obedient, Eclectus ARE independent birds. They enjoy company but once comfortable, they do their own little activities. I can’t speak for all Eclectus, but Delilah is extremely gentle with her beak. She like to fiddle my head hair and beard hair in between her beak and she NEVER tugs on a hair in the process. Like most birds, she is attracted to shiny things. I have several piercings in my face and ears and she goes for them whenever I’m not paying attention. Although she is still very gentle with them, she tries to bite down very hard on them for some reason. I’m afraid she will damage her beak so I am training her to not try and gnaw on them like she does. So keep shiny things on your body in mind when being around a parrot.
My experience with the Eclectus has been really awesome! I haven’t been this comfortable around a newly introduced animal in a loooong time. If you are looking for a parrot to spend a lot of time with, you can’t go wrong with the Eclectus. One thing I will recommend!!!!! If you are male, buy a female and if you are a female, buy a male. Although Delilah loves me, she almost cannot stand other women. She won’t attack or bite (hard), but she will not obey a woman whatsoever.
And be careful of ANY larger parrot’s bite. Delilah was recently confronted by a much larger cat and she tore the cat up. I personally wouldn’t leave a kid alone with a parrot or allow a kid to handle a parrot alone. Long oven mitts come in handy when dealing with an angry parrot.
“Kimi” the pet parrot of “Hotel Prawati”
Had visited Indonesia in August 2014 and during my tour of the island of Bali came across this beautiful parrot at “Hotel Prawati” in Kuta. Visited “Hotel Prawita” situated on Legion street just across my residence “Maha Bharata” hotel and was enchanted by its decor and artificial rainforest garden with a large Japanese pond having Koi fish. It was a “Bayan breed” parrot, a local native species of Sumatra in its palatial garden. It was chained to a tree while a Iguana lizard and a Husky dog dozed in their cages, a hotel with a mini-zoo for its guests. It was owned by the owners of plush “Hotel Prawita” and bizarrely resembled my Alexandrine parakeet “Mittoo” who expired at the age of 22 years in March 2014. Would daily visit Hotel Prawita situated on Legian street in Kuta to say hello to “Kimi”.
I have had my male Eclectus for almost 11 years. He was a few months old when I got him. He is an EXCELLENT talker and has a huge vocabulary. He speaks appropriately and calls me by my name or yells mom when he knows I am home.
A few years ago my mother passed away. I had spent two weeks with her before she passed, hardly spending any time at home. When I did get home later in the day after she passed I was carrying my Ekkie on my arm and out of the blue he looked up at me and said “I love you.”
His face is very expressive and to this day I believe he knew what he was saying. An Eclectus is a wonderful companion bird.