Parrot question

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Imported_tuatara

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Anyone here keep eckies(Eclectus parrots) macaws or cockies(Cockatoos)?(I know a few people who keep cockies, but still would like to see if anyone else does) What do people who have worked with at least one specimen of two genra/ species listed think are better?thinking of getting an animal that will take up most of my time, sadly don't have the money to get multiple, lol.
 
Sulfur crested cockatoos can live for 120 years... in captivity... that will take up your time... my dad still has his dad's one from when he died in 1993... Jack was 75 years old then, making him 99 turning 100 this year.
 
Depends what you want in a bird, your commitment to diet etc.

I have always had cockatoos. They are very highly strung and more prone to phobic behaviour etc.

My dad has Eclectus, amongst other birds, and I must say beyond the specific need for fresh fruit and veg daily (though cockies need this too) they seem much more mellow, particularly males.

Incredible vocab, can be noisey but it's generally with mimicking vs screaming of a cocky. Much calmer disposition.
Because they're Polyamorous in the wild they're also more tolerant of new people.


If you're a busy person, which at your age you're about to be,
I think Eclectus work really well around that out of the families you've listed.



Large macaws, particularly females, can get very dominating and somewhat threatening in the breeding seasons after maturity. Which is fine if you're confident with that and can keep them away from others when needed...but definitely a consideration.
 
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Anyone here keep eckies(Eclectus parrots) macaws or cockies(Cockatoos)?(I know a few people who keep cockies, but still would like to see if anyone else does) What do people who have worked with at least one specimen of two genra/ species listed think are better?thinking of getting an animal that will take up most of my time, sadly don't have the money to get multiple, lol.
Unless you have a spare $5000 Macaws would be out of the question. Black Cockatoos will be at least half that at around $2500. White Cockatoos are a lot cheaper but as said above require a lifelong dedication. Have you thought about some of the smaller birds such as Conures. They are beautiful birds that come in a variety of colours and can be trained quite easily and won't hurt the hip pocket so badly.
 
Unless you have a spare $5000 Macaws would be out of the question. Black Cockatoos will be at least half that at around $2500. White Cockatoos are a lot cheaper but as said above require a lifelong dedication. Have you thought about some of the smaller birds such as Conures. They are beautiful birds that come in a variety of colours and can be trained quite easily and won't hurt the hip pocket so badly.
Hahn's macaws are cheaper than eckies, being usually below 1.4k. While I have thought about some smaller species, I'm not interested in themother than dusky lories, but still, I don't want to get a conure and then when I'm 40-50 think about a macaw, eckie and cockie and realize that it will by far live a lot longer than I will and because of such not get the animal, therefore being back at square one.
 
Hahn's macaws are cheaper than eckies, being usually below 1.4k. While I have thought about some smaller species, I'm not interested in themother than dusky lories, but still, I don't want to get a conjure and then when I'm 40-50 get a macaw, eckie and cockie and realize that it will by far live a lot longer than I will and because of such not get the animal, therefore being back at square one.
Eclectus are usually around the $800 mark and that is handraised, anything over that and you should be looking elsewhere.
 
I've always wanted a sun conure. Will get one, one day when I find the particular one that screams "pick me". I saw some at the sunshine coast about 3 years ago at a shop in Cooroy which were $600 and stunning. Had I had the spare coin there and then I'd have walked out with one.
 
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Depends what you want in a bird, your commitment to diet etc.

I have always had cockatoos. They are very highly strung and more prone to phobic behaviour etc.

My dad has Eclectus, amongst other birds, and I must say beyond the specific need for fresh fruit and veg daily (though cockies need this too) they seem much more mellow, particularly males.

Incredible vocab, can be noisey but it's generally with mimicking vs screaming of a cocky. Much calmer disposition.
Because they're Polyamorous in the wild they're also more tolerant of new people.


If you're a busy person, which at your age you're about to be,
I think Eclectus work really well around that out of the families you've listed.



Large macaws, particularly females, can get very dominating and somewhat threatening in the breeding seasons after maturity. Which is fine if you're confident with that and can keep them away from others when needed...but definitely a consideration.
I agree, eckies are not all that much work.
P1050189sml.jpg
 
I agree,
In SA you can often get them for $600 handraised. $800 is the max I'd be wanting to pay, unless you're looking at Australian native subspecies which are often over $1200 and on license.
The PNG ones are cheaper and not on license.
 
Is there a specific reason you want a male? My understanding is that a female will bond more with a male owner and vice-versa. I am assuming you are male.
 
Males are generally a lot calmer(along with females getting territorial and such when mature and in breeding season I'm pretty sure) from what I've read.
 
Not for everyone, but what about a galah? I think Galahs are fantastic, in captivity you can expect 40 years... pink and grey is a great colour combo, I've got a mate who has a galah and it is attached to her like a Siamese twin, the endless antics will keep you amused for years to come. Lol
 
I've never seen any eckies for that cheap, even out of state.
Okay...but they are.

The man who bred my dad's original female has hand raised males for $700 on gumtree in SA now. I believe he freights too.
I've been to his house and seen the living conditions of his birds. Safe to say they're treated well.

Screenshot_20180128-131400.png
 
While they're not parrots, if you're looking for an affectionate interactive bird as a pet, why not consider a goose? They're cheaper, more easily accessible, and they don't live as long (15-30 years). If you spend a lot of time interacting with an imprinted gosling it'll be your best friend. It'll follow you everywhere, seek contact and affection from you, and they'll even go swimming with you (if you like to swim in the creek or dam that is). Only drawbacks is that they're large, noisy, messy, and need a lot of attention. But I suppose some parrots can be like that too. Unless if you imprint a couple of goslings. That way they'll rely on each other when you're not around.
 
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