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Eclectus parrots are friendly, intelligent, and extremely gentle! These feathery friends possess excellent speech skills and can mimic basic human language. They love snuggling up to their families and enjoy the company.
While Eclectus Parrots make wonderful pets, they require plenty of care, socialization, and attention, without which they can get easily anxious.
These parrots are prone to stress caused by an unfamiliar environment, changes in routine, boredom, or poor physical health.
When stressed, they exhibit destructive behaviors like picking on their feathers; hence, maintaining routine as a pet parent to these birds is crucial.
If you’re considering adopting this creature, there are a few things you need to keep in mind regarding your Eclectus Parrot’s diet.
What to feed?
The Eclectus parrots consume fruits, nuts, and pellets in the wild rainforests. However, once domesticated, these birds need a fiber-rich diet that contains plenty of Vitamin A to meet their nutritional needs.
Let’s look at the different types of foods that should ideally make up your Eclectus Parrot’s diet!
Pellets
Your parrot should only consume pellets designed for their species. While most birds can consume a pellets-only diet, Eclectus parrots need other types of food to fulfill their nutritional needs. Only 25% of their diet should contain pellets.
Fruits and Vegetables
Eclectus Parrots love fruits and veggies! They are a great source of fiber and other essential nutrients. About 60% of their diet should come from fruits and vegetables. Feed your Eclectus fresh or thawed produce in small quantities throughout the day.
Note: Fruits contain higher amounts of sugar, so keep an eye on how much your parrot consumes and try feeding them more vegetables instead.
Some of the staples are listed below:
- Banana
- Mango
- Passionfruit
- Rock melon
- Watermelon
- Berries
- Pomegranate
- Kiwi
- Carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- Dandelion leaves
- Milk thistle
- Bok choy
- Corn (once or twice a week)
- Spinach
- Carrot tops
Peppers and chilies (These contain crucial nutrients, and parrots can’t feel the spice!)
Grains and Seeds
Sprouted seeds and grains are another great way to include nutrients in your pet’s life! To increase their fiber intake, you can add sprouted sunflower seeds (occasionally), oats, and brown rice.
Additionally, cooked pulses and legumes are high in fiber and plant protein. Introduce mung beans, chickpeas, fava beans, lentils, and soybeans, making up to 10% of your parrot’s diet.
Another flavorful and high plant protein source is nuts! However, these should also be given occasionally as treats due to the high-fat content.
Grit
The rest of your Eclectus Parrot’s food should consist of grit. While it doesn’t offer many essential nutrients, it works great in aiding digestion. Add branches, raw bones, pine cones, and Grevillea flowers to keep them stimulated.
Water
Hydration is key, especially to avoid any digestive issues! Ensure the water bottle is clean, easily accessible, and leak-free. The water itself needs to be replaced multiple times a day.
A physically and emotionally well-kept Eclectus Parrot is a healthy and happy one. It is important to feed your parrot what it enjoys the most, as long as it covers the basic nutritional requirements and is not harmful to your pet’s health.
Let’s take a look at foods that must be avoided.
Foods to Avoid
The phrase ‘Good food, good life’ holds especially true for Eclectus Parrots.
However, what seems like a delectable choice for your parrot may be hazardous. These birds have a specialized digestive tract that differs from other birds; therefore, too many vitamins, mineral supplements, and high-fat content can lead to tumors or abnormal behavior.
Eclectus parrots are highly sensitive, so you should be cautious about what you feed them.
Here’s a list of foods that you should avoid giving your Eclectus parrot:
Commercial foods
While you may be tempted to get some for your feathery friend the next time you go grocery shopping, it is advisable to re-consider this thought. These foods contain dyes, artificial flavors, and preservatives that can damage your parrot’s health.
Apples, pears, and oranges
Even though these fruits contain many essential nutrients like fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins A and C, they also contain high amounts of sugar and should only be given occasionally.
Their seeds can also be toxic for these birds.
Green vegetables high in oxalates
Oxalates can restrict the absorption of essential nutrients; hence, vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, mustard, and turnip tops high in oxalates should not be given to Eclectus parrots.
Raw legumes
The antimetabolites found in them can be harmful to your birdie!
Dry seeds
These contain high amounts of carbohydrates and oils that are unsafe for parrots.
Walnuts
The aspergillus aflatoxin found in these nuts can lead to hepatitis, which can also be fatal.
Nuts, in general, should be fed occasionally to avoid the risk of obesity and liver diseases due to high-fat values.
You should also steer clear of Russian comfrey, avocado, onions, chocolates, and additional supplements to minimize health complications.
