What to Feed an Eclectus

The rare and colorful eclectus parrot originated in the South Pacific. Today they can be found in the lowland forests and rainforests of Northeastern Australia, Indonesian Archipelago, Lesser Sundas, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The eclectus has now made its way into zoos and the homes of bird enthusiasts in the United States. Feeding on a diet of soft prepared foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and dry nuts and seeds helps the parrots replicate the natural diet they seek in the wild.

  1. Soft Moist Foods

    • The main diet for eclectus parrots is a mixture of soft foods. Eighty percent of their daily food intake should include a mixture of water soaked foods and moist fresh fruits and vegetables, according to The Parrot Society of Australia. Create an equal part mixture of water soaked barley, gray sunflower seeds, mung beans and wheat. Add an equal amount of fresh vegetables and fruits to the soaked food. Offer adult parrots at least 1 cup of moist foods per day.

      All moist food should be served in a stainless steel bowl, once a day. Remove the soft food from the bird cage after an hour and discard the food before bacteria begins to grow. Sanitize the feeding bowl with a solution of 10 parts hot water, one part bleach. Rinse thoroughly, and allow the bowls to cool and dry before using again.

    Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

    • Nesting high in the tops of rainforest trees, eclectus parrots enjoy feeding on sun ripened fruits and vegetables, nectar and blossoms in their native habitat. When domesticated, it is important to provide a similar varied diet of fresh foods.
      Offer the parrot a mixture of chopped apple, banana, cantaloupe, grapes, mango, oranges, pear, passion fruit and watermelon. Eclectus parrots require a diet high in beta carotene and vegetable protein and a limited amount of fat to store vitamins A, E and D. Vegetables, including beets, fresh corn on the cob, celery and peas may also be added to the soft food bowl.

    Dry Foods

    • The Parrot Society of Australia recommends a dry seed diet for 20 percent of the eclectus' daily food intake. A food bowl containing the dry mixture may be left in the cage throughout the day. Using their downward curving hooked bill, eclectus parrots enjoy cracking nuts. Almonds, peanuts and walnuts are among their favorites. Commercial budgie (also known as parakeet) seed mixes, dry hooked bill maintenance pellet foods and gray sunflower seeds should be added to a mix of nuts. Dry treats include hard dog biscuits and dry chicken bones. Offer a fresh bowl of approximately one-fifth of a cup of dry foods each morning. Always have fresh cool water available for the parrot.