Description & Difficulty: Eclectus are unique among parrots in their strikingly dimorphic plumage colour. The females are a deep scarlet to bright red with black beaks. The males are brilliant green with yellow-orange upper beaks. Their feathers have a soft, almost fur like appearance. They are large stocky parrots with short square tails.

The male is a brilliant forest green. He has brilliant red patches on the sides and under wing coverts, blue bend to the wing and dark blue flight feathers. The female has a distinct blue feather ring around the eye like blue eyeliner. Her red is brilliant and her breast is a brilliant blue purple, which is separated from the red above by a distinct sharp line of demarcation. The under tail coverts are bright red. The tail feathers are solid red. The outer edges of the primaries are green/yellow.

The Eclectus parrot  dust-free so perfect for allergy sufferers.

The Eclectus Parrot will make an excellent family pet.  Eclectus’s differ from many other parrots in that they will usually go to anyone in the family provided they spend time socialising with them.  

Each adorable, and brightly coloured Eclectus parrot have very different personalities, some are outgoing while others can be weary and reserved, some are bold and brassy, while others are quiet and shy, the males usually experience change easily and can adapt to new situations or environments quickly, yet although not all, many females often require lots of reassurance and time to adapt to change.  

One thing you will find with Eclectus parrots is, that they most certainly won’t be pushed or forced to do anything they don’t want to do (particularly the females) unless they are ready and confident enough to want to do what is asked of them, because of this the Eclectus are often labelled as being stubborn, however this is merely a feeling of insecurity.  I have seen and heard of many Eclectus parrots that have become complete nervous wrecks simply by impatient owners that push the confidence of these parrots too far.  As a whole the eclectus parrot can take longer than most other parrots to gain full trust from their human companion (again this is moreso with the females), so unless you have patience and can always remember to remain calm around your Eclectus companion, then maybe the Eclectus is not the ideal choice for you.  However on saying this, once your parrot has gained your full and utter trust (and vice versa of course), then you will form a bond that is second to none.

So to sum this up, the best way to win any Eclectus over is to always remain calm around him/her, give him/her plenty of time and space to work things out and fully sus you out, concentrating on mutual trust and adapting patience, never forcing an Eclectus to do anything if he or she is not ready.  And equally important, you must always let your Eclectus parrot know who is the boss (and of course the dominant member of the flock!).

Eclectus will often appear stoic but are interested in activities around them. They should always be provided with toys, especially wooden blocks or other toys, which can be chewed, and branches from non-toxic trees.  Young eclectus should be socialised to many people and exposed to a variety of situations such as new cages, toys, visits to the vets, handling by friends, nail clips, etc. to avoid fear of novel situations.

Eclectus parrots are not as playful and cuddly as other parrots.They are usually content just chewing on wood toys or leather strips; or shredding paper crumbled up into a ball. One cheap, yet favourite, “foraging toys” is an phone book hanging down from the top of their cage, making for many hours of entertainment for these birds.

The Eclectus’s are sensitive parrots and do not do well in chaotic or noisy homes.

Some have a tendency to start plucking their feathers when they are unhappy or stressed.

In my opinion this species of parrot requires a owner with lots of patience, time and someone willing to give the upmost care. They require a very different diet compared to other parrots