eclectus male or female

[jen]

I can't decide which to get. Can anyone who has a female tell me if they make equally as good a companion bird. I don't want to buy on colour but on personality and cuddliness! Females seem to be easier to find.

[vankarhi]

Jen I own a female Red Sided eclectus. I have had her since she was 4 months old (I was told that is how old she was but I suspect she was about 5 months old..........still a baby though). she is now 2.5 years old. Until about 5 months ago she was the best pet a person could want except she was not cuddly but that did not worry me as she had everything else going for.

I was well aware of potential problems with her as an adult so I made she was well socialised. We took her everywhere with us and after a while she would willingly go to strangers and never bit them........except when one day she was on my arm and walking around a market and some lady just came up and put her hand over Skye's back and went to pat her...........Skye got a fright and bit her hard (no bleeding though).

she talks and quite often in context to what we are doing. She sings and I have taught her some tricks by clicker training her. So I really thought I had it all covered. I even made sure she did not get on the floor to make nesty hidey holes and took newspaper out of her cage to prevent the nesting behaviour. I changed toys in her cage and even swapped cages from time to time.

About 5 months ago I noticed she was becoming hormonal and had starting biting........not all the time, so it was not a real problem. But she did get on my 16 year old daughters shoulder and bite her very hard on the neck. In her defence that is a risk with any bird on the shoulder.

But 2 weeks ago she actually attacked me. It shocked me and frightened me, as she was literally flapping, growling, lunging, biting and her feathers where all fluffed up. I managed to wrap my arm up and quickly (after about 5 mins) put her back into her cage.

She bit my little boy a couple of days ago and made his finger bleed.........now at least he knows she bites and wont do that again. He was trying to give her a treat........but did not ask me first.

I do take her out of her cage daily to clean it. I put her on her playstand, then put her back into her cage. She still occassionally bites me (just yesterday she bit me again). She has not drawn blood on me since the actual attack, but she does bite. I just have to be ever more watchful with her now. I still talk to her and sing to her.........but she is not allowed on my shoulder anymore..........I cant risk losing any part of me. I stilll give her treats and watch her very carefully as she sometimes tricks me a looks like she is going for the treat.......then wammo lunges and tries to bite me.

I have rejoined "the eclectus connection" and they have reasurred me that she will grow out of this when her hormones settle down. I have owned pet birds since I was about 13/14 and have been bitten many times while taming and training........but never have I been attacked but a pet bird.........wild birds yes.........but never by a pet bird.

I am so sorry this is not positive about the females. If you had asked this 6 months ago, my reply would have been totally opposite.

Not all females go this way...........but a lot do. Some males do too apparently, but most apparently do make the better pets and can be quite cuddly. If you join the eclectus connection...........the land of vos, they talk only eclectus and you can learn so much from them.

[jen]

Thanks Tracy, i will take that into consideration..
does anyone else have anything to add??? All opinions are welcome.
Jen

[vankarhi]

Not too many people here own ekkies Jen. Join land of vos (the eclectus connection). It is an american site but they only talk ekkies, nothing else. It costs nothing to join and it is a mailing list. If you google either name it should come up with the site.

[zooyouthben]

I have always thought Female eclectus have the most character, but this is coming from someone who loves, Honeyeaters and Lories, the most aggressive birds