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Ok my head is spinning with all the questions I have sorry in advance for
the length of this post.

I was drivin down the road 1 day and passed a bird store. Acutally it was
the same place that I got Scooby from (Female, WBC). Since I needed some
"stuff" for scooby I stoped and went in. Now if I had gotten what I wanted
and got OUT I would be fine, but back to reality that is not what happend.

First let me say this Scooby is a WONDERFUL bird. She is all that I hoped
for and more than I ever expected in a companion parrot. Somehow its hard
to have a bad day when she is around doing her normal "stuff". I have
given a lot of thought to getting another bird. I was thinking of a BHC,
or a Eclectus. I have done a TON of reading on the Eclectus their moods,
needs. What they want, like, require ect. Just thinking mind you.

Well I stoped at that bird store to get some "stuff" and lo unto me. Mary,
the breader, owner of the store. Has 2 SI Eclestus there. Brother and
sister, they are just short of a year old.

The female is as I have read and heard probably 1 of the most beautiful
birds I have seen. But..... Yeah there is always a but. There was somthing
about the male that cought my eye. I HATE green. and yet I have Sooby, but
there was somthing about him that cought my eye. It was lunch time and
they were both eating since I know a bit about birds I left them alone
till they finished eating. Then I took him out. Mary is the only 1 who had
ever really worked with him so he was a bit nippy, but I dont see that as
a big deal we can work with that.

He is a very elegeant bird. Night and day difference beteeen him and
Scooby. He was a bit shy and a bit hesatant but he did step up onto my
hand. Then I seen what I had read so much about. By the look in his eye I
could tell he was thinking about this situation and what he wanted to do
about it. After a while he dicided he had enough and started to beak me. I
didnt want to rush to much to put him back in his home cause I didnt want
to scare him but I should have rushed a tad more before I started
bleeding. But as I said we can work with that.

I had to say all that so I could ask the questions. Thanks for sticking
with me so long.
His cage (his name is Rainbow) is back to back with 1 of Scoobys cousins.
Another WBC just different parents, so I guess cousins. I seen them reach
through the bars of the cages and preen each other.

I wonder how Scooby will react too another bird in HER house.
Would a quarintine be needed. Scoobys brother is just 2 cages away.
How would I spend my time with Rainbow and help him settle in with out
making scooby jealous?
How do you people spend your time/divide your time between your new bird
and your existing flock?
Outside of making sure they are supervised when out with each other is
there somthing else I need to be aware of?


Thanks for reading.
Any help or info or advice would be appricated.

Dave

Okay, here you go! After having my BHC for 3 years, I decided to get another bird. I had wanted someone to share noise with Beaker, but it took me this length of time to do some research to find another bird. I also knew that they would never interact because, well, you're talking about an adult caique! (Not that they are ALL like that, but...)
I thought the male clec would be the best choice so I set about looking for a good breeder/good bird. As luck would have it, a good friend had a pair that had a clutch of 2 babies. She kept the female and gave me the male.
Welcome Skyler! Sky is now 2 1/2 years old and is exactly what both Beaker and needed in a companion. (I do have another bird as well)
Beaker has always had a tabletop playstand where he snacks and hangs out and it's always on an open type kitchen counter. It only took Skyler 2 or 3 times thinking he was going to go 'visit' before he realized the small green & orange bird was someone to stay away from. And he still does.
That being said, there is another floor playstand, also in the area, (kitchen-dining room) where either Skyler or Harper hang out. They trade places throughout the evening but I have to watch Skyler around Harper. You will have to let the eclectus learn, carefully and fully supervised, that the caique is not to be reckoned with. It's possible they may like each other, but not probable.
Once the eclectus knows to stay away, you shouldn't have much trouble with them.
Is your caique flighted? Beaker is not, so he stays, for the most part, where he is. Are you going to clip the clec or leave him flighted? If both birds remain flighted, you may have more trouble keeping them from flying to each other.
Once you get past an 'introductory' stage and they establish their own ground and you help them both learn the rules, they should be ok. They will have to have separate cages, as I'm sure you know. Beaker and Skyler only keep each other company during the day, but I know they'd miss each other if one was gone. For that, it's nice to have another bird.

Digest some of this info. and hit us with more questions. Eclectus have different personalities, obviously, and different nutritional and diet needs. They also require AT LEAST a 38' wide cage, and a 40" would be best.
They can have plucking issues and cannot have any food, bird food or human, that is enriched in any way. They can issues with wing flipping or toe tapping with incorrect food. They also absolutely cannot have any bird food that is artificially colored. The colors will show in their feathering without much delay. Eclectus don't seem to do well on pellets, but it is a totally individual bird issue. I do feed my birds some pellets, but they are strictly organic and they don't get very many. They're prone to being overweight if not stimulated with enrichment items, as they get bored easily. You'll have a leaner, smaller bird with an SI as opposed to a RS, but they can still become pudgy.

Hope this helps you with your decision. If you can manage to accept and be willing to modify the diet from what you are likely feeding the caique, and can accept the fact they probablay won't be 'playing together', I think you'll do fine. They are the most wonderful, loving and social of species. As my breeder always says about them, 'they'll let you tell them how wonderful they are for hours and hours'. And that's about the truth. I started him very early , but Skyler has an excellent vocabulary.

You will never regret having an eclectus!
Andrea

Just the type of info I was looking for Thanks.

For now both birds will have their wings clipped. I feel better this way and I will see how the future plays out.

I dont expect them to be buddies but like you another bird in the house to keep them company while Im at work.

That is the hope at least for now.