Photo by Crissy Carlile Pairing Eclectus for Breeding

Carolyn Swicegood, Hollywood, Florida

clectus parrots (Eclectus roro­ selecting birds for breeding so the help of tus) are prolific breeders 0 be someone who is knowledgeable about E careful what you wish for when the identifying characteristic of each setting up pairs for breeding. Thi par­ subspecies is invaluable. Some Eclectus rot species breeds year round in captiv­ experts have predicted that in the near ity and most pairs do not voluntarily future, pure subspecies specimen will take the rest breaks nece sary for con­ exist only in the wild, and the habitat of So 111 171)' and Hayley, SOI01110/1 Island pair owned by Chrissy Carlile tinued good health. One or two wild Eclectu is disappearing as quickly Eclectus pairs can keep an owner bu y as the pecial characteristic of the indi­ recognizing the subtle clue. Because of year round raising chicks. vidual Eclectus subspecies in captivity. thi difficulty, Eclectus pairs are some­ There are several Eclectus sub­ It is e pecial1y difficult for the times matched on the basis of an educated species from which to choose and care novice to determine ubspecies identity guess at the male's subspecies identity. By must be taken to pair bird of the same of Eclectus Inales. In fact, subspecies the time a mismatched pair matures and subspecies. Crossbred Eclectus parrots, identification of the male Eclectus i produces female offspring (by which sub­ often referred to as hybrid , are so preva­ sOlnetimes a challenge for experienced species pmity can be judged), the pair is lent in aviculture that one cannot easily Eclectus breeders. The differences likely to have been together for severa] find a proven pair of same subspecies between Eclectus males are subtle and year . S01ne owners are reluctant to break birds for sale. A first-time Eclectu buyer one must observe numerous males of the the pair bond, and unable or unwilling to can make numerou costly mistakes in variou subspecies to become adept at obtain new mates of the appropriate sub­ species for each bird.

Choosing a Subspecies The difficulty of locating pure subspecies birds is sometimes the factor that determines a new breeder's choice. The la t shiplnents of wild Eclectus par­ rots imported into the United States were Solomon Island Eclectus, so it is believed to be easier to acquire pure birds of this subspecies. Another factor that attracts breeders to the Solomon Island subspecies is that the smaller sub­ species are capable of reproducing at an earlier age. Solomon Island can repro­ duce as early as eighteen months to two years of age. The larger subspecies such as the Vosmaeri Eclectu can take two to three years longer to mature. Aviculturi ts in the United State who breed Eclectus parrots on a large scale often choose to breed all four of the comn10nly available subspecies. Breeders who maintain only a few Eclectus pairs might choose to specialize and breed only one subspecies. This is advantageous to the breeder because any unrelated birds can be paired when one member of a pair

A beautiful pair of E. r. \ osmaeri subspecies of the Eclectus Parrot. is lost or the bond is broken within a pair.

32 S~cond Quarter 2003 Photo by Darla Mirabal The subspecies most common in Australian aviculture is the Red-sided Eclectus (E. r. polyehloros). Although the Macgillivray (E. r. maegillivrayi) is nati ve to Australia, there are re triction that limit their numbers in captivity.

Eclectus Subspecies Available in the U.S.

Commonly available in the U.S. • E. r. roratus (Grand Eclectus) • E. r. vosmaeri (Vosmaeri Eclectus) • E. r. s%mensis (Solomon I land Eclectus) • E. r. polyeh/oro (Red- ided Eclectus)

Other Eclectus subspecies: • E. r. aruensis (Aru Eclectus) A little fencing sometimes indicates a pair isforming and working Ollt the details. Ajier these Available little jousts the pairs often settle down one notch closer to bonding. • E. r. maegillivrayi (Macgillivray Ec1ectus) Available in Australia the purchase of single bird to place pairs by carefully purchasing unrelated • E. I~ biaki (Biak from Biak Island) together as potentia] breeding pairs. male and females to pair for breeding. Very few in U.S. Inexperienced buyer would do well to • E. r. cornelia (CorneJia Eclectus) Acquiring Individual Birds enlist the help of an experienced Eclectus Very rare The new Eclectus breeder is more breeder to check out potential breeding • E. r. riedeLi (Riedeli Eclectus) likely to acquire problem-free breeding stock. One cannot count on luck for thi Ex tremel y rare important step in setting up an Eclectus • E. I: westermani (Westermani Photo by Carolyn Swicegood breeding program. Without healthy. Eclectus) Unavailable unrelated stock of pure subspecies, the resulting problems can be endle '. Buyer Caution Reputable Eclectus breeders occa­ Pairing Males and Females sionally go out of business and their prob­ Once the acquisition of individual lem-free breeding pairs become available, males and females has been accom­ but these pairs most often go to fliends or plished, the next hurdle is the succe s­ fellow breeders who know the birds' his­ ful pairing of the bird. One method is tory. Proven breeding pairs without prob­ to acquire young birds and raise them lelTIS are not often advertised to the public together in a spacious cage or aviary. and the opportunity to buy such a pair is They should have ample space for both rare. Proven pairs that are adve11ised for exercise and play. By the age of six sale frequently have problems, such as months, properly weaned Eclectus have one or both birds destroying their eggs learned to eat a variety of healthful and babies. Reputable breeders reveal foods and have mastered most of their such problems to the potential buyer but life kills. They can perch, manipulate unfortunately, there are ellers who toys and other objects, swing, climb, choose not to disclose this infomlation, and fly. At thi stage of life, they wel­ leaving the buyers to leaIl1 for thenlselves come interaction with other Eclectus. "how they got so lucky" to find a proven One advantage of pairing bird at an breeding pair for sale. It can be treacher­ early age is that most six- to twelve­ A curly rope toy gives this young male a ous for a new breeder who is attempting to pleasant place to perch and well as a wild ITIonth old Eclectus are not yet aggres­ acquire good Eclectus pairs for breeding, and tangled rope to play with and beatup si ve enough to cause each other harlTI but there is a good alternative and that is j,>\'hen the urge strikes. when rough play and sparring occurs. the afa WATCHBIRD 33 c o (/J c ..c -,o 'w (/J ~ >. .0 o ..co D...

This Red-sided Ecleclus pair is blessed j,vith a hllge play pen ill which they have all the luxuries nature con prO\ ide. The) are able to fly, perch,

look for something to eat, and do almo t eve/~whil1 J their wild COltsillS can do. They IOl'e their breadfruit tree seen here. Another advantage is that younger tive family for him did not come along time I decided to pull the eggs and Eclectu are more curious about other at the tilne. Unfortunately, I did not replace them 'rvith unbreakable ceramic birds and therefore are more accepting have an unrelated female to pair 'with eggs. Sure enough, one of the parent of the companion hip of a mate. him at the time. Meanwhile, because of birds tried unsuccessful!) to break the Ideally, if a breeder acquire the name on his favorite food dish, this eggs yet again. Even though I was numerous young birds for pairing, and male Eclectus became known as Dog. unable to actuall) see him do it, I ha a pace large enough for all of them "Last _ear I was approached by the believe that it was Dog who tried to to live together, the young birds can be owner of Dixie, a pet female Eclectus that play soccer with the egg!). ob erved a they eat and play together. If had become hormonal. The owner did not "U'1fortunatel.v, Dixie s eggs which any males and females repeatedly gravi­ want to deal with this temporary stage of I placed in an incubator pro\led to be tate toward each other and eat and play development because Dixie was doing infertUe. The next time she laid, I again together, these birds are obviou candi­ some screaming. Dixie is about six took her eggs away and replaced them date for pairing. At thjs stage, careful months older than Dog, and since the with fakes. Again, the clutch was il?f'er­ observation and note taking can increase opposite age difference is preferable, I tile, but this time I waited until the eggs the chance of succe fully pairing bird was a bit skeptical about pairing them, not were due to hatch and replaced the fake that will fonn a strong bond and eventu­ to mention that Dog is not a very assertive eggs with one of her own infertile eggs - ally become good breeders. Many male. Ne~ertheless, I introduced them and one fertUe egg which I took from one Eclectu breeders agree that females slowly and gm e them a nesting box after of 171.' fertile pairs that had laid at the mature earlier than male and con ider it I obsen ed him feeding her. same time Dixie laid. Not only did the ideal to pair young males that are at lea t "Dixie took to the nest box right fertile egg hatch, but Dixie quickly ix month older than their Inate. away and shortly thereafter she laid her learned to feed "her" baby and raised a Sylvia Denton, owner of AVERILL first clutch of eggs. Sometime within the beaut(fUl baby girl that I pulled at three FARMS in Palm City, Florida al 0 .first few days after the eggs were laid, they weeks for hand feeding. prefer to pair Eclectu when they are were broken. Even though the eggs were "I was hoping that since Dog was very young. Sylvia shares: "I like the broken, Dixie stayed in the box for the such a good Daddy to "his baby," he male to be about six month older but it normal incubation period of 28 days. might have gotten a clue and that maybe does not always work out that way. "The same thing happened with his hormones had been stimulated by the About two years ago, I held back a her second clutch of eggs. When I baby's cries for food and the feeding of ) oung male because the peliect adop- noticed her going back to nest a third his mate and the baby. I also hoped that

34 Second Quarter 2003 Dixie would be a bit more receptive to his tion should be inconspicuous. A one­ have experienced interaction with other advances the next time around. way observation window is ideal. Once Eclectus parrots. The best chance for a "I could not believe my eyes when a male and female have paired off and sexually mature, "clueless" male to just two weeks ago I observed Dixie and are obviously bonded as evidenced by become a successful breeder is to pair Dog copulating on the perch! She now is perching together and possibly engag­ him with an experienced female sitting on two eggs which will be ready to ing in mutual feeding, the pair can be Eclectus who can train him, but experi­ candle in a few more days. I would not given a separate aviary or a private area ence has shown that even this method be at all surprised if at least one of their within the colony with physical and does not have a high rate of success. eggs isfertile - here's hoping!" visual barriers. There are few docu­ Fortunately, Eclectus parrots adapt eas­ mented experiments with the colony ily to a variety of situations and many When unrelated adult birds are breeding of Eclectus. males that fail as breeders become paired for breeding, there are several wonderful companion birds that are ways to optimize the chance for suc­ Introducing Potential Pairs treasured for their special compatibility cess. First, try to locate birds that were The gradual introduction of with people. Both male and female raised around other birds rather than Eclectus pairs in two side-by-side cages Eclectus parrots are more likely to birds that were incubator hatched and or flights is the safest way to get poten­ become successful breeders if raised raised alone. It is important to choose tial Eclectus mates together. By observ­ with other birds. healthy, steady birds that are not nerv­ ing the birds for stress, a comfortable The personality of the potential ous or easily stressed. If possible, distance between cages can be deter­ male breeder is important according to observe the bird with other Eclectus mined. The cages can then be moved Nita Lamprey, owner of TOUCH OF and select birds that are comfortable in closer together gradually as the birds EDEN AVIARY. "One of the main factors a flock situation. Well adjusted birds become more comfortable with each to look for when pairing older birds is adapt more readily to a new mate and a other. As the birds indicate that they are the personality of the male. If the male new environment. If a male and female bonding by sitting as closely together is very tame and the female is not, there have only recently been introduced, it is as possible, they can be given open will be almost no success. The tame best to avoid the introduction of a nest­ cage door visiting privileges. male will nearly always be divided box until there is definite evidence of The late Richard M. Schubot, co­ between his hormonal instinct for bonding. Pairing tame males with tame author of PSITTACINE AVICULTURE, breeding and the desire for attention females, as well as untamed males with shared his common-sense method of from humans. I find putting a tame untamed females usually works out bet­ determining when pairs in this situation male with a tame female works better. ter than trying to mix tame birds with have bonded. He observed the location He should he patient and non-intimi­ untamed mates. Sometimes an inexpe­ of the nightly droppings on the cage or dating toward the female, but persist­ rienced bird can be taught the logistics aviary floors every morning. Once the ent" says Nita. of mating by an experienced mate. droppings indicate that the birds are Tracie Reece, Solomon Island Eclectus are known to breed well sleeping as close to each other as possi­ Eclectus owner from Marietta, Georgia around their own species and some ble, bonding progress is indicated and shares, "When introducing an Eclectus Eclectus are disturbed by the sight and the doors to their separate cages can male and female, I think is it important sounds of larger parrot species in the then be kept open until they choose to to place their cages side by side for a vicinity. To maximize the chance for start sleeping in the same cage. This while. I attach a rope perch between the success, Eclectus should be housed indicates their readiness to share an two cages and allow them an open­ only around other Eclectus if possible, aviary or large cage. door policy whenever I am at home. and definitely away from noisy, larger This allows each of them access to each birds like Cockatoos and Macaws. Breeding Failure of Tame Males other's space on their own terms. One of the most persistent prob­ Eventually, the two birds get to know Colony Breeding lems of pairing adult Eclectus parrots is each other and start to hang out togeth­ When creating pairs from a large the breeding failure of tame males. er. Once the two of them retreat to one group of single males and females, one Although incubator-hatched males do cage for the evening, the need for two method is to allow the birds to choose sometimes figure out the logistics of cages is a thing of the past but the birds their own mates. This can be accom­ breeding and become successful pro­ must still be allowed to make the moves plished by setting up a colony with ducers, this is the exception rather than forward in their relationship. I do not ample space and perches for the birds the rule. Eclectus males that are raised believe in pushing or forcing them in to congregate, interact, and observe alone without interaction with other any way when it comes to pairing. If each other. There should be minimal Eclectus are much less likely to become enough time is allowed, the birds are interference by caregivers and observa- successful breeders than males that likely to make bonding progress at their the afa WATCHBIRD 35 own pace and form a lasting relation­ birds to have ample space and escape Female Dominance ship. The birds must be allowed to routes (such as double perches and Unlike most parrot species, the decide when they are ready to spend ropes) in the enclosure in case of aggres­ female Eclectus is the dominant member more time with each other. " sion or chasing and bickering. Owner of the pair. As Eclectus pairs are bonding, Chrissy Carlile, owner of Eclectus supervision is always important when it is not unusual to see the female chasing Friends Aviary, in Florida agrees, "I was first placing birds together. A perch and a the male, jabbing at him with her beak lucky with my prolific Solomon Island towel should be kept nearby for safe and looking for all the world as though pair, Haley and Sammy. I did everything intervention in case of conflict. she intends to dismember him feather by wrong when pairing them up. Haley is Says Jaudon Vance, owner of feather. However, even though their six or seven months older than Sammy ROCK CREEK AVIARY, Fredericktown, behavior appears to be seriously aggres­ and they were both raised as spoiled rot­ Missouri, "To date, I have never had a sive, it rarely results in an injury. The ten pets rather than breeders. I do not problem pairing Eclectus parrots, female's body language and aggressive consider myself an Eclectus 'breeder' whether placing an old hen with a actions look ferocious while, in fact, she but I could not have had better success young male or an older male with a is only using this display of aggression to with these two. The only thing I did with young hen. I believe the most important train her mate. Haley and Sammy was to introduce them prerequisite for their happiness while To be a successful as a breeder, to each other. They were entirely on their learning to live together is a large, spa­ the male Eclectus must protect and pro­ own after that. I instinctively gave them cious flight cage. I have paired birds of vide food for the matriarch while she the freedom to be birds and to follow various ages. Some were placed togeth­ incubates the eggs and provides their instincts, while still treating them er at a very young age so they were warmth and sustenance for the chicks. as my pets, which has turned out to be required to live together quite a long She will depend on the male for most of the best thing I could have done. I did time before becoming mature enough to her food during incubation and the rear­ not let them get out of their companion­ breed. The large flights allowed them to ing of their chicks. During the teaching ship routines with me but gave them the live peacefully with ample space for phase, she chases the male and space to bond without my interference. " both birds. I have heard horror stories demands regurgitated food from him. regarding Eclectus pairing in small The female will feed the male repeated­ Skipping Introductions 'pet cages. ' The birds are more likely to ly in an apparent attempt to show him Some breeders prefer to place a turn on each other out of frustration. what she wants him to do. After feeding male and female Eclectus together I've always believed that the reason the male, she will repeatedly pump his without an introductory period. It is everything has gone smoothly here is beak and wait expectantly for him to important to keep in mind that parrots that the birds had enough space to call feed her. She bites at his feet or other are naturally territorial about their liv­ their own until they bonded. " areas of his body if he does not cooper­ ing space and it is imperative to avoid At any age, Eclectus parrots ate. If the owner perceives this behavior placing birds together in an area about whether single or paired, need ample as dangerous aggression and interferes which one of the birds feels possessive. space. They are active birds and require with the game plan, the bonding and Pairing should always be done in a neu­ sufficient room to exercise and play. It teaching process will be interrupted. It tral flight cage or aviary so that both is not only unwise from the viewpoint can be difficult for the inexperienced birds are in an equally unfamiliar place. of creating a pair bond to keep Eclectus Eclectus breeder to refrain from well­ Eclectus parrots are not known for of any age in small spaces, but it is meaning intrusions on during this killing their mates, and they are not cruel to the birds to confine them to a process but unless real aggression is generally aggressive toward each other, small space, especially if it forces a pair observed, such as hard biting or minor but placing a male, and especially a shy to spend all their time together. They injuries, it is best to not interfere. male, in the cage of an aggressive need to be able to spend time apart. We probably do not fully under­ female is likely to end in serious con­ Gone are the days when birds were stand the relationship of an Eclectus flict or injury. The same problem can be forced to perch side by side for twenty­ pair. We could easily misinterpret the created by placing a shy female in the four hours a day with no toys or exer­ naturally aggressive behavior of the cage of an aggressive male. This prob­ cise opportunities for distraction in the hen as a lack of bonding. Chrissy lem can be avoided by the use of a neu­ mistaken belief that this promoted Carlile shared that her Solomon Island tral cage or aviary for the introduction. bonding. Unhappy birds and broken pair, Haley and Sammy, seem to have a The likelihood of problems occur­ pair bonds are the usual result of such genuine love for each other. Chrissy ring when placing unbonded adult birds practices. Experience has proven the says, "They are inseparable. Haley is together is highest when using small wisdom of providing ample space and not as bossy toward Sammy as most cages. Most successful Eclectus breeders the opportunity for recreation and exer­ Eclectus hens, and Sammy follows her believe it is important for newly paired cise to encourage pair bonding. like a shadow, carrying out her every 36 Second Quarter 2003 wish. They rarely have any time alone with the hope that he would be the per­ and Ruby are copulating because since their first clutch of babies fect mate for Cleopatra. However, she Hogan never fails to say, 'Awww, good hatched last year. When the little ones had had other ideas. Michelle says, "We girl' -1 kid you not.' Then came the first come out of the nest, Sammy takes over kept them in separate cages which were clutch. Hogan and 1 were nervous their care and Haley works on a new not close together but they could see wrecks but Ruby had it all under control nest and prepares for more eggs. Then each other. Cleopatra only glared at and blessed us first with a lovely little the cycle begins again so there is him. After a couple of weeks we moved girl and after that with many more large always a job for them to work on their cages next to each other. Then she and healthy babies. We keep them on a together. Sammy and Haley seem to only squawked at him. Then one day schedule of three clutches followed by hate being away from each other. They when they were exploring their intend­ three months of rest. This schedule must do everything together or the ed breeding cage together, she attacked works well for all of us. " screaming begins as soon as one of him.' With loud screams and feathers them is out of sight, except when Haley flying, Hogan fled to the safety of his Signs of Pair Bonding is in the nestbox. Haley and Sammy human flock with Cleopatra in hot pur­ How does the new Eclectus breed­ perform like a well-oiled team and they suit with a look of murderous intent in er know when a pair has bonded? seem to have a strong love for each her eyes. Needless to say, we separated Eclectus pairs do not engage as exten­ other. " them and 1 began searching for sugges­ sively in mutual grooming as Cockatoos tions on how to perpetuate 'Eclectus and other parrot species that are more The Best Laid Plans ... Love. ' openly affectionate. There are other signs Sometimes, no matter what we "Fate soon intervened when we of bonding such as mutual feeding, sleep­ have in mind for two Eclectus parrots, found Ruby, another stunning Vosmaeri ing side by side, calling when separated, they simply do not click. There are female, and to our delight it was love at a "bonging" sound made by the male, many examples of paired Eclectus that first sight. Hogan immediately called touching beaks, intertwining necks, and prove to be incompatible no matter how her 'pretty girl' and she pinned her eyes other courtship displays. long they are kept together. A good at him. Hogan and Ruby were honey­ example is Michelle Mondshein's mooning in their own flight cage just Timing of the Nest Box attempt to pair Cleopatra and Hogan. waiting for a nesting box in an amaz­ Most experts agree that it is best to Cleopatra was the BLUE MOON AVIARY ingly short tinle. not provide an Eclectus pair a nestbox mascot until Michelle acquired Hogan "1 can always tell when Hogan until mutual feeding and other signs of bonding have been observed. If a nest­ Photo by Jandon Vance box is provided before a pair has suffi­ ciently bonded, the hen will more than likely disappear into the nestbox for up to 23 hours a day, effectively ending the opportunity for continued bonding. Even after bonding has taken place, the hen needs time to train the male to feed her at the nestbox opening so that she can incubate eggs and feed chicks while he delivers the necessary food. Once the nestbox goes up, if the pair is truly bonded, eggs and chicks are likely to follow soon. A Nita Lomprey says, "It's fun and fascinating to put pairs together and watch their relationship develop. What a feeling of accomplishment to watch them, in all their gentle beauty as they work together to incubate and hatch their first baby chicks. My best advice is to enjoy the miracle taking place from start to fin­ ish and anticipate holding those first This roomy indoor aviary provides an abundance of things to make Eclectus pairs happy enough to breed. There is room to fly and keep somewhat fit (important in breeding), to),s to babies in your hands, knowing that you play with and a large nestbox in the private back corner. were a part of it all." .:.

the afa WATCHBIRD 37